Valencia Basket fights without a prize in Monaco
Those from Mumbrú died on the shore of a tough encounter that forces them to grit their teeth for the ‘play-in’
MADRID, 22 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Valencia Basket succumbed (79-78) this Friday against AS Monaco on matchday 31 of the Euroleague, a match that they carried in tow for many minutes without losing face to their option of attacking the Salle Gaston Medecin, evaporated in the last plays.
Álex Mumbrú’s team had a tough challenge ahead of them but with a very juicy prize. However, Monaco, in their also tight fight to be seeded, sold their skin dearly and withstood a great second half from Valencia, led by Semi Ojeleye (22 points) and without a prize despite competing until the end.
It took the Taronja team a quarter to get closer to the version they needed to qualify for a crucial victory in Monaco. Mumbrú’s team entered softly and lost every battle, while Jaron Blossomgame provided the success with which the locals opened the gap (25-13).
Nate Reuvers was the best solution the visiting coach found, but he undoubtedly needed his starting five to wake up. A dunk by Ojeleye at the buzzer closed the first quarter, showing the muscle that Valencia found in the second. The Spanish team got serious and tightened the score (38-34).
Despite the presentation of Mike James in the match, Valencia cut Monaco’s inertia and equalized the defensive battle, as well as Claver and Jovic to provide solutions to the ‘taronja’. Robertson made up for the missed free throws with a three-pointer that looked like it would go wide but Blossomgame closed out the first half.
The American player had his best Euroleague game in scoring and the match escalated in the physical battle. Monaco brought out more artillery from the bench, with Diallo and Cornelie, responding to the attempts of Anderson, Ojeleye and Jones to get closer on the scoreboard to a Valencia that remained standing (57-54).
Mumbrú’s men made clear their intention to compete until the end despite having a significant decline inside, with the absences of Brandon Davies and Boubacar Touré, but Monaco, who had just lost this week against Milan, did not give anything away either. The umpteenth battle that the last quarter brought put Valencia ahead in the game for the first time, with a partial score of 2-12.
However, Sasa Obradovic’s men responded with another similar one. With the game in hand, each team looked for its most inspired player. Balls to James and Ojeleye, in a dramatic finale that left Monaco by just one point after an entire war, how tight the classification reflects for being in the ‘playoffs’.
DATASHEET.
–RESULT: AS MÓNACO, 79 – VALENCIA BASKET, 78. (38-34, at half-time).
–EQUIPMENT.
AS MONACO: James (17), Strazel (7), Blossomgame (17), Brown (8) and Motiejunas (6) –starting quintet–; Okobo (5), Diallo (2), Cornelie (2), Walker (7), Hall (8).
VALENCIA BASKET: Jones (15), Pangos (-), Anderson (11), Inglis (11) and Pradilla (2) –starting quintet–; Claver (-), Jovic (5), Ojeleye (22), Reuvers (8), López-Arostegui (-), Robertson (4).
–PARTIALS: 25-15, 13-19, 19-20, 22-24.
–REFEREES: Radovic, Pukl and Panther. Eliminated due to Inglis fouls.
–PAVILLION: Salle Gaston Medecin.
2024-03-22 20:22:20
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