Valencia Basket takes a step back in Tel Aviv
A bad game and the defeat against Maccabi return doubts to the ‘taronja’
MADRID, 8 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Valencia Basket gave up (84-68) this Thursday in their visit to Maccabi Tel Aviv on matchday 12 of the Euroleague, a bad game for the ‘taronja’ at the Menora Mivtachim Arena, where they have never won, against a direct rival in the table in search of the ‘playoffs’ zone, which returns them to the doubts of a bad run.
Álex Mumbrú’s men had no power on the inside, they missed the injured Jones in the point guard position and lost 21 balls. It was enough for Maccabi, who had won in the last six games, to fulfill the record, with good numbers from the Spanish Lorenzo Brown (15 points and 6 assists), Nebo, Baldwin IV and Hilliard to go 6-6, one more victory than the Valencia.
The ‘taronja’ box was complicated from the beginning by a bad staging, within a low profile meeting. Maccabi did not score one while Valencia lost one ball after another, seven in the first quarter (15-10). The local team found the spark of success enough to take the reins, while Harper monopolized minutes in the direction due to the recent loss of Jones.
Brown, Hollins and Nebo were the most drinkable in a Maccabi that won the paint in the second quarter with Nebo and Martin (26-16). Valencia added problems in all facets of the game, far from the fierce version that they recovered last week against Partizán, the only victory in their last eight games between the League and the Euroleague.
Dubljevic and Claver avoided a major disaster at halftime (35-27) and Valencia improved after the restart, something that was not complicated after their 14 losses in the first half. López-Arostegui started the comeback and Prepelic also broke in to give the visitors more reason to hope that they would win (49-47).
However, despite Baldwin IV’s injury, Maccabi did not get nervous, with a little more prominence for the nationalized Brown. Valencia lost intensity, with a significant deficit on the rebound, and again the ball at a bad time (73-58), like the technique to Prepelic. With baskets on the buzzer, the Israeli team finished with the morale of a Valencia that takes a step back.
DATASHEET.
–RESULT: MACCABI TEL AVIV, 84 – VALENCIA BASKET, 68. (35-27, at halftime).
–EQUIPMENT.
MACCABI PLAYTIKA TEL AVIV: Brown (15), Baldwin IV (9), Colson (10), Martin (4) and Nebo (8) –starting five–; Adams (-), Hilliard (11), Dibartolomeo (6), Cohen (8), Hollins (6), Sorkin (7).
VALENCIA BASKET: Harper (7), López-Arostegui (15), Pradilla (-), Webb III (5) and Dubljevic (11) –starting five–; Puerto (-), Claver (13), Prepelic (4), Radebaugh (4), Rivero (7), Alexander (2), Ferrando (-).
— PARTIALS: 10-15, 20-17, 18-20, 31-21.
–REFEREES: Boltauzer, Nikolic and Trawicki. No deleted.
–PAVILION: Menora Mivtachim Arena.