Great victory for Valencia Basket against Gran Canaria in a very suffered game that was decided in the last moments thanks to a three-pointer from Jones and a great defense from the Taronja team. The insulars were ahead throughout the match but were unable to close the game to achieve the fifth consecutive in the ACB.
Chris Jones is from another planet and came to Valencia to brighten the lives of the fans. He put on his overalls all by himself and with impossible baskets when time was running out, he made his team win a highly contested match. He finished with 19 points.
Valencia left the usual orange aside to wear white in homage to the Copa del Rey that Pamesa won 25 years ago.
The match began even with a scoring Gran Canaria and a Valencia Basket that depended on Radebaugh’s points to stay alive on the scoreboard. Balcerowsky and de Inglis took the reins of the game and the end of the first quarter was reached with a score (16-22). The locals were suffering.
Valencia came out with greater concentration in the second quarter and between Prepelic, López-Atostegui and a triple from Dubljevic they turned the score around in less than a minute (23-22). The Canarian team, far from being intimidated, stepped on the accelerator and returned to move away on the scoreboard thanks to a great choral game of the whole team. Valencia had a hard bone to gnaw in front and he couldn’t get his hands on it in the game. Harper debuted on the scoreboard with a triple that adjusted the score (34-36) with 2:30 remaining for the break. With everything to be decided, the end of the second quarter was reached with (39-40).
Gran Canaria came out of the locker room better and two consecutive three-pointers from Albicy once again opened the gap on the scoreboard. And it went on and on… again Albicy scored three from three while that Jones did the same. The insular team wanted the fifth consecutive victory in the ACB. The match was beautiful for the spectator but surely the coaches were not liking him because he was a street runner. Shannon Evans took the baton and directed his team to the basket. Everything was going to be decided in the last ten minutes. because it was reached with (56-59) at the end of the third quarter.
Nobody wanted to lose and the two fought with their weapons to take the cat to the water. Mumbrú together on the track Jones, Claver, Prepelic, López-Arostegui and Dubljevic to try to defeat a Gran Canaria that was very successful in attack but allowed to score easily. Balcerowski and Albicy with twelve points each, they kept their team ahead on the scoreboard with 4:47 remaining.
Rivero dressed as a goalkeeper to adjust the score and scored from three with 2:30 to go. The end was presumed to be a heart attack. Chris Jones appeared with a triple to put his team ahead, which, accompanied by a great defense from Valencia, lifted La Fonteta from their seats and the pavilion was a cauldron.
Chris Jones was once again the hero of Valencia and with three spectacular plays in the last minute he made Valencia win again in the ACB and Gran Canaria could not achieve the fifth consecutive victory.