Valencia Basket smiles on the champion’s court
MADRID, 18 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Valencia Basket opened its victories locker in the 2022-2023 Euroleague Regular Phase after winning this Tuesday after a great game by 91-92 on the court of the current champion, the Turkish Anadolu Efes.
The ‘taronja’ team appeared at the Sinan Erdem in Istanbul with doubts, after four straight defeats, two of them in the top continental competition at La Fonteta, but they were able to bring out their character to stop Ergin Ataman’s men, thanks in good part to the ‘bombing’ from the triple.
Alex Mumbrú’s team signed a 16/33, with a spectacular 12/20 in the first 20 minutes that allowed him to hold off any escape attempt from his rival, and although that effectiveness dropped after the break, he held on in defense to neutralize Vasilije Micic, author of 22 points, only five after passing through the locker room, and Will Clyburn, whom he handcuffed quite well despite his 18 goals.
In the end, the hand of Chris Jones decided in favor of Valencia Basket, which also had the good news of the recovery of Montenegrin Bojan Dubljevic, who after not scoring any points against Cazoo Baskonia or ASVEL Villeurbanne, went to the twenty.
Efes was only comfortable at the beginning of the match, when he imposed his pace and threatened to break the clash (17-7). However, the ‘taronja’ held up well and found success from the triple that the locals did not have.
The visitors, with an inspired Víctor Claver, added three by three and managed to turn the score around (21-23), but the improvement from 6.75 caused the current double continental champion to regain control, led by Micic, his player more inspired. But the rain of triples in the Sinan Erdem, with Dubljevic leading the way in the final stretch, left the swords in full swing at halftime (45-45).
Valencia Basket left the success in the triple in the changing rooms, although he did not let it affect his confidence or his game in a game that kept his continuous alternatives on the scoreboard. The final work in this third period by Kyle Alexander kept the Valencian team with all the options (68-66).
Efes, deprived of the best version of Micic and without regularity at Clyburn despite his improvement, managed to start the last quarter better and stretched somewhat in the electronics (73-66). Those of Mumbrú did not wrinkle and clung to the triple again to tighten everything.
Xabi López-Arostegi managed to put his team ahead with two minutes to go (84-85) and a new triple by Van Rossom made them dream of victory (84-88). The champion did not give up and punished an innocent loss by the Belgian point guard with a triple by Beaubois for 91-90. There was time left and Jones took the responsibility to force a foul and sentence from the free throw, although Valencia Basket still had to make one last great defense on Clyburn.
–RESULTADO: ANADOLU EFES, 91 – VALENCIA BASKET, 92 (45-45, al descanso).
ANADOLU EFES: Micic (22), Beaubois (5), Clyburn (18), M’Baye (7) and Pleiss (9) –quinteto inicial– Polonara (6), Bryant (10), Dunston (6), Zizic (8), Balbay (-) and Tuncer (-).
VALENCIA BASKET: Jones (15), Prepelic (5), Puerto (3), Pradilla (5) and Dubljevic (20) –starting five– Van Rossom (12), López-Arostegi (6), Claver (12) , Alexander (6), Harper (5) and Radebaugh (3).
–PARTIALS: 21-20, 24-25, 23-21 and 23-26.
–REFEREES: Boltauzer, Jovcic and Koljensic. Without eliminated.
–PABELLÓN: Sinan Erdem.
