Valencia Basket gets stuck in Munich

Valencia Basket could not (93-89) with Bayern Munich this Thursday on matchday 24 of the Euroleague, surpassed in defense and attack by the Germans at the SAP Garden, an unexpected defeat against a team from below in the table.

Pedro Martínez’s men failed in Munich, where since December Svetislav Pesic, at 76 years old, has taken the reins of an improved Bayern. The veteran Serbian coach neutralized the ‘taronja’ rhythm and the visitors became entangled in losses and bad decisions, also weighed down by a low success rate of three (11/41).

After the initial exchange of blows (22-24), Bayern stayed in the second quarter and did not let go of the reins until the end to sign their ninth victory, to the 15 of the Valencians in a tight high zone. Vladimir Lucic (19 points) was the first local reference and, although Andreas Obst was well watched, he added.

Darius Thompson scored for the visitors, but the triple weighed down a Valencia team unable to stop the Germans from that start. Brancou Badio contributed in the second act but Pesic’s team settled on the personnel line and opened a gap with Justinian Jessup. Lucic returned from the bench to continue damaging his former team and before the break Bayern strengthened their lead (53-44).

A Bayern that had just scored 63 points, two days ago in the defeat also at home against Partizan, put a Valencia Basket in check that did not return well from the locker room either. The German advantage grew (66-52) and Kameron Taylor (20 points after another recital against Paris) came to the rescue without being enough.

Without a doubt, Pesic won the game of the pace of the match and Bayern’s defense collapsed against a Valencia that made the rubber in the final stretch. Pedro Martínez’s men reduced the gap to eight points (78-68) but the locals did not tremble and completed their great performance on both sides of the court.

Nenad Dimitrijevic called for the last attacks, brave in the one-on-one when the triples did not enter any hoop. Valencia didn’t score one, they gave balls to Montero without success and, saving the rebound a little better, Bayern tied down the tail of a ‘taronja’ team that is beginning to notice the demands of the season.

TECHNICAL SHEET.

–RESULT: BAYERN MUNICH, 93 – VALENCIA BASKET 89. (53-44, at halftime).

–TEAMS.

BAYERN DE MÚNICH: Obst (12), Hollatz (-), Mike (14), Lucic (19) y Da Silva (8) –inicial quintet–; Dimitrijevic (12), McCormack, Giffey (3), Voigtmann (3), Kratzer (2), Jessup (16), Gabriel (4).

VALENCIA BASKET: Badio (10), De Larrea (2), Taylor (20), Pradilla (5) and Sako (2) –starting quintet–; López-Arostegui (7), Reuvers (12), Key (6), Montero (13), Moore (-), Thompson (9), Costello (3).

–PARTIALS: 22-24, 31-20, 26-26, 14-19.

–REFEREES: Pukl, Dragojevic and Balak. Gabriel, Hollatz and Key eliminated due to fouls.

–PAVILLION: SAP Garden.