The performance of a versatile Nikola Kalinic in the third quarter ended the hopes of Movistar Estudiantes, brought Valencia Basket out of indolence in which I was entangled and led him to victory (100-89).
It was the fifth consecutive victory for the Valencian team and the seventh defeat followed by the collegiate team, who watches the descent with more and more concern.
Initially, four triples of Sam van rossom and so many open shots of Derrick Williams They embittered the initial zone of Estudiantes, but the lack of forcefulness of both defenses turned the clash into an exchange of baskets from which the locals came out with an advantage thanks to their aim from the line of 6.75 (34-29, m.10) .
The passage of the minutes did not change the script of the crash. Both teams scored easily and the local distance grew or fell according to the inspiration of each other because there were hardly any forced errors.
Bojan Dubljevic fed the local scoreboard and Aleksa Avramovic Y Nemanja Djurisic, the visitor (45-40, m.15).
The Estudiantes, who announced a few hours before the crash the absence due to a blow to the knee of Angel Delgado, his great reference in recent matches, found in Djurisic an inspired scorer who put him ahead with a few seconds to go before a break at which the game finally came even (52-52, m.20).
After the break, Valencia began to fail in attack. The locals stopped scoring and the visitors, with much less pressure, took advantage of the points of an intelligent Victor Arteaga (54-60, m.24).
Two more triples from Van Rossom woke up Valencia, the clash was equalized again and Kalinic’s activity on both sides of the court allowed him to enter the last quarter with minimal income (76-73, m.30).
The Serbian forward’s teammates were infected by his intensity and, seeing the panorama, Estudiantes was blocked, the locals opened a gap with points from Dubljevic and Klemen Prepelic and Valencia enjoyed a comfortable finish that allows them to maintain fifth place and increase their pressure on TD Systems Baskonia for fourth.
Data sheet:
100 – Valencia Basket (34 + 18 + 24 + 24): Van Rossom (18), Vives (-), Kalinic (19), Williams (10), Tobey (5) -five starters- Prepelic (8), Pradilla ( 1), Labeyrie (12), Dubljevic (22), Sastre (2) and Hermannsson (3).
89 – Movistar Estudiantes (29 + 23 + 21 + 16): Barea (14), Avramovic (13), Brown (11), Djurisic (24), Arteaga (23) -five starters- Sola (-), Stoilov (- ), Laksa (-), Cvetkovic (4).
Referees: Calatrava, Oyón and Merino. Without eliminated.
Incidents: match corresponding to matchday 35 of the Endesa League played behind closed doors at the Fuente de San Luis pavilion. A player from the children’s team of the Valencian club was presented with the local squad and lived the game on his bench in an action on the day against bullying.