The Valencia Basket team continues to struggle to find a winning strategy against Olympiacos, a team they have yet to beat. The recent defeat marks a setback in their journey towards the ‘playoffs’ and amplifies the challenges they have been facing.
In their latest match on the 26th day of the Euroleague, Valencia Basket lost to Olympiacos with a final score of 65-78. This defeat marks their eighth consecutive loss against the Greeks at La Fonteta, a bitter pill to swallow for the team striving to make it to the ‘playoffs’. This loss was largely due to their lackluster performance in the second half of the game.
Coached by Álex Mumbrú, who was sent off just before the last quarter, the Valencia team fell behind from the second quarter onwards. Despite an initial fightback after a strong start from the Greeks, the Valencia team was unable to maintain their momentum in the third quarter, allowing their opponents to surge ahead.
The Greek team, hailing from Piraeus, now boasts 15 wins compared to Valencia’s 13. The recent defeat has certainly disrupted Valencia’s positive winning streak.
Mumbrú’s team was noticeably missing the strong inside presence of players like Brandon Davies and Boubacar Touré, which may have contributed to the team’s rebound deficit. The score was evenly matched at halftime (39-40), but Valencia’s defense began to falter in the second quarter, leading to multiple local losses.
Despite the challenges, the team from Valencia did not give up without a fight. They managed to curb Olympiacos’s lead after a 0-12 partial put the score at 23-34. Valencia’s reaction, both on the wing and the hardwood, stopped Olympiacos from extending their lead.
Valencia’s players, including Jones, Pangos, López-Arostegui, and Ojeleye, managed to regain some ground, although they were still challenged by the quality of opposition player Petrusev. Mumbrú worked to minimize the damage, but there were still loose ends that remained untied.
Unfortunately, every mistake made by the local team was punished by Olympiacos. Valencia’s inability to score any goals, coupled with losses during the restart, allowed Olympiacos to extend their lead. The team’s defense was further weakened by Wright’s issues, which compounded when Fall joined him.
Georgios Bartzokas’ Olympiacos team capitalized on Valencia’s weaknesses, extending their lead with a 0-11 partial. The local team’s attack was not handled well by Valencia, who were desperate for a spark to ignite a comeback. But there was no reaction, and the score stood at 48-60. Valencia’s belief seemed to wane as they faced an Olympiacos team that displayed excellent teamwork and accuracy, particularly from the three-point line.
Valencia’s dismal 5 of 23 triple attempts further complicated their situation. A potential game-changer came in the form of Jones’s two-and-a-half-minute attempt towards the end of the game, but it was Canaan who managed to score for Olympiacos. Thus, Olympiacos also won the basket-average against Valencia, who ended the game with a second technical for Jones and a potential injury for López-Arostegui.
DATASHEET:
Final Result: Valencia Basket, 65 – Olympiacos, 78. The halftime score was 39-40.
Team Roster:
Valencia Basket: Jones (2), Robertson (5), Ojeleye (19), Reuvers (3), and Inglis (7) – starting quintet –; Harper (4), Pradilla (2), Anderson (4), Puerto (-), López-Arostegui (10), Jovic (9), Pangos (-).
Olympiacos: Walkup (7), Canaan (16), Brazdeikis (3), Peters (9), and Fall (5) – starting quintet – Wright (10), McKissic (10), Papanikolaou (4), Williams-Goss (9), Larentzakis (-), Petrusev (6).
Quarter Scores: 19-21, 20-19, 9-20, 17-18.
Referees: Radovic, Pukl, and Vilius. Jovic and Jones were eliminated.
Venue: San Luis Fountain.
