Triple lethal from Jaime Fernandez sinks Madrid in the first round

Published on June 03, 2026 | Translated from Spanish

Real Madrid suffered a 97-98 defeat against La Laguna Tenerife at the start of the Liga Endesa quarterfinals. A decisive three-pointer by Jaime Fernández in the final moments sealed the fate of the whites, who have now accumulated five consecutive losses. Tenerife moves closer to the semifinals, while Chus Mateo's team is on the ropes with the series against them.

basketball court during final seconds of a tense game, player in white jersey releasing a high-arcing three-point shot, ball mid-air with backspin visible, defender in dark jersey leaping with outstretched arm, clock on scoreboard showing 0.2 seconds, crowd frozen in anticipation, cinematic sports photography style, dramatic arena lighting from above, deep shadows on court floor, sweat droplets frozen in motion, photorealistic rendering, ultra-detailed player expressions, motion blur on background spectators, high-contrast dynamic range

Tactical analysis: fragile defense and Tenerife's outside accuracy 🏀

The game highlighted Madrid's defensive shortcomings in key moments. La Laguna Tenerife executed a fluid offense, shooting 42% from three-point range, taking advantage of pick-and-rolls to create advantages. The white team's lack of defensive rotation allowed open shots, especially in the final quarter. Jaime Fernández, with 18 points, was the executioner. Madrid, for its part, failed in timeout management and could not secure defensive rebounds in critical plays.

The white crisis: from European euphoria to ACB drama 😅

It seems Madrid has swapped basketball for musical chairs. Right now, every time the music plays, they are left without a seat. Five straight losses and a series advantage lost in a heartbeat. If this were a software update, they would have already released the emergency patch. But here, we have to wait for the next game, which promises to be another chapter in the series Losing the Way.