Valencia Basket suffered a prideful defeat, losing 86-88 to Baskonia in a game where coach Pedro Martínez gave minutes to less frequent players with Wednesday’s crucial match in mind. The taronja squad erased an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter through a massive display of resilience, but fortune favored Baskonia in the final two possessions. Simmons sealed the win with a high-level move, while Moore’s potential game-tying shot rimmed out. Now, all focus shifts to Wednesday.
No game is a mere formality for Valencia Basket, not even on the eve of the club’s most important match in history. Whether regulars or backups, every player stepped onto the Roig Arena floor determined to leave nothing in reserve. Even as Baskonia opened with two quick three-pointers, the taronja found their early rhythm through Sako, who reminded everyone of his physical dominance under the basket, scoring the first eight points for Valencia.
Omari Moore and Matt Costello soon joined the party with back-to-back threes, forcing Paolo Galbiati to call his first timeout with the score at 14-6. The break worked wonders for Baskonia, who emerged with clearer ideas and quickly erased the gap. Diakité threw down a spectacular dunk, and an inspired Omoruyi restored parity on the scoreboard.
An even contest became the norm throughout the rest of the first quarter, with both teams trading baskets. Reuvers and Pradilla stood out for the home side, and Valencia held a 26-23 lead at the first buzzer.
Just like the first period, Valencia started strong in the second, this time fueled by an inspired Omari Moore, who scored five quick points, complemented by another Pradilla basket. But like a carbon copy of the first quarter, Baskonia again equalized, turning a 7-0 run into a 7-7 split, prompting Pedro to call time.
After the timeout, parity reigned once more. Forrest, the Copa del Rey MVP who had been quiet, began to make his presence felt, as did Kam Taylor, both playing under clear minute restrictions alongside Montero and other key taronja pieces. However, the standout was Sergio de Larrea, whose two classy baskets helped Valencia withstand Baskonia’s frequent trips to the free-throw line. At halftime, the score was deadlocked at 41-41.
True to pattern, Valencia Basket again came out aggressively in the third quarter, despite an early scare when Edwards delivered a monstrous poster dunk over Braxton Key, forcing the taronja player to leave the game after a hard elbow to the nose. Valencia responded through Moore, Sako, and Taylor, then a Costello three-pointer, followed immediately by a Nogués steal and basket that ignited the Roig Arena and forced Galbiati to call a timeout as Valencia went on an 11-2 run (52-43).
But Baskonia proved they have more lives than a cat, clawing back in the Roig Arena. Cabarrot led the charge, but more crucially, the referees tightened their whistle, sending Baskonia players to the free-throw line on nearly every contact from a player in orange. On the other end, Valencia Basket struggled for several minutes, allowing the visitors to regain momentum.
