A Valencia Basket under minimums is tested in the lair of the champion
MADRID, Jan. 22 (SportsFinding) –
Valencia Basket will have a good test this Thursday to check the level of strength of its candidacy to be one of the eight teams that play the 'playoffs' of the Euroleague when visiting (18.00 hours) at CSKA Moscow, in a match corresponding to the twenty-first Regular Phase day and which arrives with many casualties.
The team 'taronja' saved very well the double continental day of the week with two wins against Khimki and Zenit St. Petersburg, but now he has had to pack again to return to Russia and a field, the Megasport Arena, where no facilities await him before the current champion.
Those of Jaume Ponsarnau seem to go through a good time and have settled in the top eight, seventh, with a balance of 10-10. Defending that position happens mainly by beating a strong CSKA at home, although the defeat could keep him in those positions before entering the last key third of the competition.
However, his infirmary is still significantly worse than he had last week, now with the outside line very 'touched'. Thus, Mike Tobey continues to leave and the American center has been joined by Joan Sastre, who no longer played the last clash due to a feverish process, and at the last minute Alberto Abalde, due to fever, and Jordan Loyd, due to trauma to his foot in Tuesday's training.
On the other hand, the coach 'taronja' has the good news of the recovery of Bojan Dubljevic, who returned Sunday in the triumph ane the UCAM (82-62), and that he had missed the tour of Russia with Mike Tobey, and of Maurice Ndour, who was not at the weekend.
With these resources, Valencia Basket, which fell clearly in La Fonteta in the first round (71-96), will try to surprise a CSKA
which is also on the rise after chaining three straight wins in the Euroleague and getting a good balance of 14-6 in fourth place.
Those of Dimitris Itoudis will want to take advantage of their third straight game at home and against a third set of the Endesa League after giving a good account of Real Madrid and Kirolbet Baskonia to get closer to the teams that march ahead. Braking Mike James and overcoming local defense physics will be key for the Valencian team to have options.
“We have to know how to adapt to his great defensive level, there is a lot of talk about his offensive talent, but conceptually for me he is one of the best teams in the Euroleague. It is important to attack well, adapt to everything you are raised at the conceptual level and live the game during the 40 minutes against a team of this offensive and defensive quality, “warned Ponsarnau.
DATA SHEET.
–EQUIPMENT.
CSKA MOSCOW: James, Hilliard, Kurbanov, Voigtmann and Hines – possible initial quintet–; Bolomboy, Antonov, Vorontsevich, Koufos, Baker, Hackett and Sant-Roos.
VALENCIA BASKET: Vives, Marinkovic, San Emeterio, Doornekamp and Dubljevic – possible initial quintet–; Labeyrie, Ndour, Motum, Colom, Van Rossom and Jiménez.
– ARBITRATORS: Pukl, Panther and Silva.
– PAVILION: Megasport Arena.