Olympiacos – Valencia Basket – GETTY
Mumbrú’s men fight Olympiacos head-to-head despite always being in tow and come back in the final seconds
MADRID, 4 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Valencia Basket celebrated a victory in capital letters (82-83) this Friday in their visit to Olympiacos on matchday six of the Euroleague, another good ‘taronja’ version in the maximum continental competition with the prize this time of victory to match their balance (3-3) on the table.
Álex Mumbrú’s men left a great image again, against a powerful rival, and took a serious high to reaffirm their great work so far this season. With three very close defeats, Valencia prevented the fourth on the basis of faith to come back from an Olympiacos that concedes its second consecutive defeat (4-2).
The Spanish team was behind the start (14-5), but did not lose face in the match at any time, equaling the good local success with Puerto and a Jones man of the match in that tight end (17 points). However, the scoring streak lasted longer for the Greeks who, despite 12 losses at halftime, went to the locker room with a good cushion (47-34).
Vezenkov and Sloukas, the fashionable couple in the Euroleague, had no mercy on a Valencia with a serious problem also in rebounding (20-5 in sacks). The return continued to give the visitors reason to believe with Dubljevic scoring from three, but at home Papanikolaou joined the party with three triples in that quarter.
Mumbrú’s men rowed with everything, with a good rush from Prepelic, not to throw away the game despite coming in with a 13-point deficit in the last 10 minutes. Jones and Alexander, owner at times of the top of Piraeus, silenced the Greek pavilion, with the game in a handkerchief and the option of completing the comeback.
James Webb III made it 80-79 one minute from the end that made more than one Atletico fan rub their eyes. Lagging behind throughout the game, the ‘taronja’ team then had the option of equalizing through Jones at the free throw line. One of the new sensations of Valencia failed but he got even when the responsibility came to him again, four seconds from the end.
Olympiacos did not kill when he could either and Vezenkov committed the foul, including a review, which gave Jones the three shots with which he made it 82-83. The bench Georgios Bartzokas protested that action and even more so the last local attack without a basket, but Mumbrú’s men went out through the big door to take a serious role in their return to the Euroleague with a new project.
DATASHEET:
–RESULT: OLYMPIACOS, 82 – VALENCIA BASKET, 83. (47-34, at halftime).
–EQUIPMENT:
OLYMPICS: Walkup (12), Mckissic (4), Vezenkov (20), Papanikolaou (9) and Fall (10) — the starting quintet–, Bolomboy (-), Canaan (3), Larentzakis (1), Black (1). 9, Peters (3), Sloukas (11).
VALENCIA BASKET: Jones (17), Prepelic (5), Puerto (3), James Webb III (9) and Dubljevic (17) –starting quintet– Alexander (10), Claver (7), López-Arostegi (4 ), Harper (9), Pradilla (-), Radebaugh (2).
–PARTIALS: 28-22, 19-12, 24-24, 11-25.
–REFEREES: Difallah, Vyklicky and Sukys. Fouled out Radebaugh.
–PAVILLION: Pavilion of Peace and Friendship.