This Thursday brought a display of uneven play and sharp contrasts for Valencia Basket against Cazoo Baskonia, as Antonio Maiz and teammates found themselves challenged on the opening night of the Euroleague regular season. The scoreline finished 71-81 in favor of the visitors, a result that hinted at the gaps Valencia still had to bridge despite a standout performance from Maik Kotsar on the Fonteta floor.
The game began with intensity and a degree of disorganization that gave Valencia a temporary spark. Klemen Prepelic shone early, scoring and driving the rebound to establish an early lead. Baskonia responded with Kotsar asserting his presence, followed by Marcus Howard as the visitors steadied and began to pull away. Yet the initial quarter was markedly defined by the arrival of Jasiel Rivero, who, with help from Josep Puerto, helped Valencia stabilize the boards and keep the pace at a manageable level (the score at the end of the first was 21-19 in a tight affair around the ten minute mark).
As the second rotation came into play, Valencia attempted to sustain the fight with Vanja Marinkovic, Tadas Sedekerskis, and Dani Diez contributing for Baskonia. A period of imbalance arose as the Basque side found a rhythm and Valencia struggled to close the gap. An uncharacteristic lapse from Jared Harper allowed Baskonia to extend their advantage and push the edge to a two possession gap (31-22 at mid first half). The turning point seemed near when the ball found its way into Baskonia’s hands on a run of uninterrupted possessions, and the home defense shuffled to cope with the pressure that followed.
From there the match unfolded amid moments of doubt and flashes of precision. A notable highlight appeared when an extended sequence of triples and inside play briefly tilted the balance back toward Valencia, yet Baskonia remained composed. A lengthy sequence late in the first half demonstrated the visitors’ resilience as they absorbed pressure and tightened the defensive screws. The scoreboard showed a 39-33 control for Baskonia as the teams headed into halftime, a testament to their steady execution and the difficulties Valencia faced when attempting to break the visitor’s rhythm.
Valencia returned to the floor with renewed purpose after the break, yet the flow remained stubbornly in Baskonia’s favor. Valencia found it hard to dent the lead as Baskonia relied on the steady contributions of Rokas Giedraitis and Donta Hall, who anchored the Basque side with precise finishing and steadfast defense. The visitors managed to stretch the margin to ten points, leveraging a more measured approach that kept Valencia at a comfortable distance as the third period stretched on. The rhythm was not frenetic, but it was effective, with Baskonia controlling long stretches and translating that control into a quiet, methodical lead.
As the fourth period began, Valencia leaned on Sam Van Rossom to spark a late surge. His timely triple from beyond the arc briefly rekindled hope on the Fonteta court and sent a ripple of nerves through Baskonia’s camp as the clock ticked toward the final ten minutes (the score moved to 56-59 as the period began). Yet the reaction was one of urgency rather than sustained momentum, and the home side found it difficult to sustain the pressure long enough to flip the scoreboard in their favor.
With Valencia’s bid for a comeback faltering, the decisive moments of the night were tallied by Baskonia through their ball movement and decision-making on the floor. Harper, whose inconsistencies during the season’s early days had been a talking point, saw a critical stretch without the needed rhythm, and Baskonia capitalized by sliding the ball to Darius Thompson whenever a clear advantage appeared. The visitors exercised patience and purpose—traits that allowed them to close the match with a composed, pragmatic ending that left Valencia with a late, fading spark rather than a resurgence.
Coach Mumbrú faced a difficult rotation puzzle, and the choices did little to spark a balanced finale. The Basque squad remained calm and forced Valencia into a series of hurried plays, a combination that effectively sealed the result and drained Valencia’s momentum in the closing minutes. The Fonteta crowd witnessed a game that swung on a handful of decisive possessions and the disciplined execution from Baskonia, who finished the night comfortable in their stride as the final whistle sounded.
Data sheet: Valencia Basket finished with a line that reflected a balanced but sometimes fragmented scoring effort. Van Rossom, Prepelic, Claver, Webb III, and Puerto formed the core on the floor, with contributions from López-Arostegui, Jones, Radebaugh, and Rivero. Total points tallied to 71, with Rivero scoring a team-high 14 and Prepelic adding 12. Baskonia answered with a deeper spread of scoring, led by Darius Thomson and Rokas Giedraitis, who combined for a robust attacking output. Thompson and Howard also added important baskets, while Kotsar topped the charts with 21 points in a powerful display of inside-out play. The final tally stood at 81 for Baskonia.
Referees for the match were Ryzhyk, Belosevic, and Koromilas. The event took place in front of approximately 7,500 spectators at the De la Fuente pavilion in San Luis, marking the opening clash of the Euroleague regular season for both teams.