Real Madrid added another victory in the Euroleague on Tuesday at La Fonteta (73-80) by squeezing their inspiration in the first quarter against a Valencia Basket that re-signed a start without defensive hardness.
The Valencian team improved with the passing of the minutes and forced an even finish in which the Bosnian Dzanan Musa and the Argentine Gabriel Deck supported the Madrid team with coldness and quality.
The meeting with Real Madrid started intense and, above all, inspired. First Muse and then Petr Corneliewho added 20 of the first 24 visiting points, executed the good circulations of Chus Mateo’s team against an active Valencia but who tried to defend without contact.
With this panorama, to the locals, who had the last minute loss of Chris Jones, It was very fair for them to try to keep up with their rival despite the fact that he was able to score with some frequency (16-27, m.9).
The entry of the second unit greatly lowered the success rate of both teams and the clash stalled for a few minutes. Neither Sergio Rodríguez, erratic in shooting, nor Sergio Llull knew how to get his team out of that hole and Valencia, without being successful, managed to reduce their disadvantage again thanks to Victor Claver and Xabi López-Arostegui.
The return of the initial quintet The visitor’s mistake from outside did not change, but Musa knew how to read the situation and with a couple of actions he managed to save a good part of Madrid’s income (31-41, m.20).
Going through the changing rooms improved the local defense and also his aim. His three-pointers, two by Bojan Dubljevic, put his rival’s mental strength to the test. But Real Madrid did not get nervous and exploited Musa’s new penetrations and the ability to Walter Tavares to distribute to maintain their domain and even increase their income (43-59, m.27).
Valencia raised the physical level of their defense and that hardness, although it took time to pay off, ended up getting them within eight points at the start of the last quarter. Much more uncomfortable, Real Madrid survived thanks to the quality actions of Gabriel Deck and Fabien Causeur, but a triple of sam van rossom he fed the local dream (61-68, m.37).
Adding from the free throw line, the locals further adjusted the score, but Deck and Musa held Mateo’s team. A triple of the irregular Jared Harper and another from Van Rossom they put Valencia within three with a minute to go, but neither the Bosnian nor the Argentinean’s pulse trembled and they closed the triumph of the white team.
Data sheet:
73 – Valencia Basket (19+12+15+27): Van Rossom (17), Puerto (2), López-Arostegui (6), Webb III (2), Dubljevic (15) -starting five-, Harper (11), Claver (6), Prepelic (-), Pradilla ( -), Radebaugh (3), Alexander (5) and Rivero (6)
80 – Real Madrid (31+10+18+21): William-Goss (-), Musa (28) Deck (16), Cornelie (10), Tavares (4) -starting five-, Causeur (5), Abalde (-), Hezonja (2), Sergio Rodríguez (3) , Poirier (4), Ndiaye (-) and Llull (8)
referees: Lottermorser (ALE), Foufis (GRE) and Rosi (ITA). They eliminated the visiting Poirier (m.34).
incidents: match corresponding to the ninth day of the Euroleague played in the Fonteta pavilion before 7,506 spectators. Before the start, a minute of silence was observed for the death of Dolores Escamilla, a great promoter of Valencian professional women’s sports and manager of the historic Dorna Godella.