Valencia Basket collides with Fenerbahce’s wall

Valencia Basket could not (82-79) with Fenerbahce this Friday on matchday 22 of the Euroleague held at the Ulker Sports and Event Hall in Istanbul, with the Spanish team in tow until dying on the shore despite the final emergence of Jean Montero.

Pedro Martínez’s team started and finished well, but not enough to overthrow a Fenerbahce team that equals, with one game less, the Valencians’ 14 victories. After losing to Monaco, the ‘taronja’ team gave up another direct duel for the ‘Top 4’, at the hands of the return to Turkey of Nando de Colo (16 points) and the defense against which the visiting team collided.

After winning in Athens, Piraeus and Belgrade, the ‘Taronja’ team jumped onto the Istanbul floor convinced of their chances of winning another prestigious trophy. The Spanish team entered the triple with five goals (three from Jaime Pradilla), but Sarunas Jasikevicius’s team did not take long to take the measure of their rival.

A 12-0 run by the Turks revealed other facets that were not showing off as much in the Valencians and the first quarter was local (28-20). Pedro Martínez’s men choked on Fenerbahce’s paint, lost five balls and suffered an unexpected traffic jam that gave control to the coral ‘Saras’ team.

Despite lowering the percentage of three as was logical, Pedro Martínez’s men returned the partial in the restart (30-30), but the best defense in the Euroleague once again took the hint and made life difficult for Valencia. Nando de Colo, on his European return to Fenerbahce, wreaked havoc and, despite a triple from Omari Moore, the match went to half-time with clear Turkish dominance (45-34).

Wade Baldwin, Talen Horton-Tucker and an unexpected Brandon Boston were also problems for the visitors, punished with the high pace they are used to but that did not work at the champion’s home. In the second half, Valencia fought back and managed to get into the game (62-58) based on three-pointers from Puerto, Nate Reuvers and Brancou Badio. Pedro Martínez’s men improved in attack, but Fenerbahce accepted the exchange of blows with De Colo and Baldwin.

Once again, when it seemed close, Valencia did not complete its comeback, but the visitors saved one last blow, that of Montero who scored ten points in a row to give his team the chance to win in Istanbul. The ‘taronja’ had two attacks to tie in the last seconds but Baldwin blocked the Dominican and Reuvers did not hit the scoreboard, also pressed by the best defense in the league.

TECHNICAL SHEET.

–RESULT: FENERBAHCE, 82 – VALENCIA BASKET, 79. (45-34, at halftime).

–TEAMS.

FENERBAHCE: Horton-Tucker (10), Biberovic (7), Hall (10), Melli (12) y Birch (3) –starting quintet– De Colo (16), Baldwin IV (11), Jantunen (2), Boston Jr (11), Bacot Jr (-), Eksioglou.

VALENCIA BASKET: Montero (14), Thompson (1), Taylor (13), Pradilla (13) and Sako (-) –starting quintet–; Badio (6), Puerto (8), De Larrea (-), Moore (7), Key (-), Costello (-), Reuvers (17).

–PARTIALS: 28-20, 17-14, 21-24, 16-21.

–ARBITROS: Belosevic, Latisevs y Kowalski. Sin eliminated.

–PABELLÓN: Ulker Sports and Event Hall.