Baskonia penalizes Valencia’s inconsistency in victory

started intense and messy encounter and in this scenario Klemen Prepelic shone with its own light. His points and control over the rebound gave Valencia an initiative, which they lost when Baskonia faced off first by Estonian Kotsar and then Marcus Howard. However, the first quarter was another lap due to the entry of Jasiel Rivero, who, with good help from Josep Puerto (21-19, m.10), controlled both hoops in the rebound situation.

With the second rotation meaning Vanja Marinkovic, Tadas Sedekerskis and Dani Díez coincide in BaskoniaBasque team lost step and nine behind (31-22, art. 13). Nothing happened because an uninformed Jared Harper broke into the facility, leaving an open lane for visitors to reach his circle.

This hole aroused suspicions in Valencia that spread from defense to offense. The blockade was such that in the last six minutes of the first half, which ended with the 2-17 series advantage of the visiting teams, the locals left without conceding a goal, again Kotsar’s coach (33-39, art.20).

Passage through locker room breaks Valencia’s goal shortage but it did not change the scenario of the meeting. With a few ideas on the static offense, Valencia left the initiative to the Basque team, who took advantage of the sobriety of Rokas Giedraitis and Dulton Hommes to use their ten-point margin advantage.

While the fate of the match was becoming clear, Sam Van Rossom’s triple attack from the horn revived Valencia and made the Basque team nervous before the last set (56-59, m.30).

But when Valencia seems addicted to the game, Local star Harper’s inconsistency against Joventut in the Endesa League on Sundaypushed him away because it was enough for Baskonia to pass the ball to Darius Thomson and almost always let him decide with common sense.

Mumbrú didn’t help his team get a minimally even ending to Valencia with a rotation as crazy as his attacks, giving Baskonia a calm ending that prematurely drained La Fonteta.