A remarkable performance by Bojan dubljevic, including the two free throws that sealed the final score (87-86), have given this Monday to Valencia Basket the first win of his quarterfinal series of the Endesa League before a much improved TD Systems Baskonia who had one last attack at the hands of Pierria henry to take the shock, but was surprised by a providential theft of Guillem Vives in which he requested foul.
Started the Valencia I live behind and confident in front and that gave him command of the game and the scoreboard before a Baskonia seized to which Henry kept afloat. Without still being able to count on any ‘partner’, he had to score himself also waiting for a rotation whose start Dusko Ivanovic He advanced to equalize the crash (22-18, m.8).
The rest of the point guard could have meant a downturn for the Basque team but the leadership of Rokas Giedraitis freed Quino Colom to accelerate the circulation of the ball to punish Valencia with outside shots that stopped being incisive in attack and paid it in defense (25-30, m.24). Only the triples of Klemen prepelic.
But the Slovenian’s points did not change the picture and Valencia began to notice some anxiety as they did not know how to take advantage of what should be one of their moments in the game. With the return of Henry and the entry of Youssopha Fall, the visiting advantage stabilized around ten points (35-44, m.20).
In the resumption, the Valencia flipped his game over the low post, with Dubljevic Y Nikola Kalinic of stilettos, to try to rejoin the party and he succeeded. Once he had forced his rival to close, two triples in a row by the Montenegrin pivot turned the crash around and lit a Fonteta ‘full’ with 1,500 spectators (53-50, m.24).
Colom gave a solvent relief to Henry and to Valencia the minutes of rest of the base were crossed again which allowed the Baskonia recover some of the lost ground, enter the last quarter with a three-point advantage and strengthen their confidence, as demonstrated by the wide shots with which Polonara reopened the gap (65-74, m.34).
Valencia caught the clash as best he could, basically putting the ball in the hands of Van Rossom that, with his points and those he gave to Dubljevic, forced a tight end, although with the initiative of the visiting side (82-82, m.39).
Two baskets in a row by Henry, nuanced by a triple of the emergent Louis Labeyrie they left the Baskonia one up with the ball for Valencia with ten seconds to go. Just Dubljevic on the line, he put both in and left Alavés the last possession with five seconds and a ball from the band. The ball reached Henry but a claw of do you live stole the ball to the disbelief of the Baskonia who claimed foul.
Data sheet
87 – Valencia Basket (22 + 13 + 25 + 27): Van Rossom (4), Vives (6), Kalinic (18), Williams (5), Tobey (8) -five starters- Prepelic (10), Labeyrie ( 10), Dubljevic (20), Hermannsson (-) and Sastre (6).
86 – TD Systems Baskonia (18 + 26 + 19 + 23): Henry (15), Giedraitis (9), Sedekerkis (2), Peters (16), Diop (-) -five owner- Massenat (5), Jekiri ( 9), Colom (6), Fall (4), Dragic (10) and Polonara (10).
Referees: Hierrezuelo, Oyón and García González. Without eliminated.
Incidents: first match of the quarterfinals of the Endesa League played in a pavilion of the Fuente de San Luis with a capacity reduced to 1,500 spectators due to the restrictions due to COVID 19 that was completed.