L’Alqueria tombs the European champion

Valencia Basket’s victory against Efes will be remembered for a long time at La Fonteta (81-71). It is the triumph of a model. Forced by circumstances, yes. But it is a victory that endorses the L’Alqueria project, a victory that corroborates the commitment to the quarry and that, by itself, fills those who defend that the sustainability of Valencia goes through this.

Harper, Van Rossom, Hermannsson, Millán, Claver, Rivero… and at the last minute the star of the team: Chris Jones. Lost due to injury. They have been dropping like flies. The feeling was that the European champion was going for a walk in La Fonteta. But not. Symbolically, it was the first victory for L’Alqueria del Basket… which knocked out the Euroleague champion. Because Puerto signed the best game of his career (15 points, 7 rebounds for a PIR of 21 with 4 of 4 in triples). The dunk over Singleton was from the NBA. But he was not alone. Ferrando led the team without hesitation, alternating with a great Radebaugh at point guard; Lucas Marí, 17 years old, made his debut in important minutes, defending a certain Micic, to a certain Dunston… To people who were already playing in the Euroleague when he was still playing in the park. And De Larrea made his debut, in the final minutes, which still gave him time to make a filigree in the last play of the game.

Ataman’s face after the game was a poem. A constellation of stars had been beaten by a group of spirited and inspired Taronja players who signed a historic match. James Webb’s arreón in the last act (14 points) was the one that plunged the dagger into the heart of the Ottoman team.

With seven casualties and with the recently recalled Ferrando as the only healthy point guard, Valencia appeared in a game against the current Euroleague champion. Perhaps for this reason, the Mumbrú team took to the field without complexes. He commanded against a totally cold Efes, without any success in the outside shot. Captain Dubljevic took the initiative. He was touching her. With eight points (two triples) he led his team in the first act. At Efes, Pleiss was softness personified and until Clyburn came out they had barely scored. A triple by Radebaugh and a counter-attack basket by López Arostegui gave the Taronjas the lead in the first ten minutes (16-13).

La Fonteta asks for this. Puerto put the boiler on full throttle. A gliding flight over Singleton’s head that ended in a dunk for the youth player set the highest so far (20-15, min. 12). Larkin, who continues with his set-up, reduced immediately with five points in a row but this Valencia was not going to stop. As far as it would go It was a day for that, not to stop. López-Arostegui answered with another triple to an Efes that was beginning to heat up. Although the shot from three was a disaster (3 of 16 in the first half). Again Puerto (8 points and 5 rebounds in the first half) nailed another triple to put Valencia up four. But Micic’s quality responded from 6.75 to leave it 31-30 at the break.

Valencia had already told Efes that if they wanted to score at La Fonteta it would not be by walking around. And he went on… and on. Puerto kept the team from him. Efes began to dominate physically, loading the offensive rebound. Clyburn put Efes four up but Pradilla reduced from three (42-43). Radebaugh, with another triple, relaunched La Fonteta (49-47, min. 27). Valencia was on rails. But at that moment the quality of Larkin and Micic emerged which, together with a couple of arbitration decisions, made Efes give a pull for the first time in the entire duel. A technique to Mumbrú left the partial at 0-9 and the total at 49-56. But again Puerto, on the buzzer, nailed it from three to give life to his team (52-56).

And what a life! Clyburn put the first and put a 52-58 with which the Efes already believed that the victory was on track. Big mistake. After Pleis hit a four-meter shot and made it 57-60, the perfect taronja storm broke out at the hands of James Webb III. An 18-2 run, with 13 points from the North American, knocked down the two-time European champion (75-62, min. 38). For the second time this season. Larkin tried desperately but the victory was already taronja. L’Alqueria had knocked down the European champion.