Valencia Basket is in its best moment of the season. With hardly any injuries (only Claver is in the dry dock) and with almost all of its members with natural immunity from COVID, the taronjas have picked up cruising speed. Whether in the Eurocup or in the Endesa League, you count their games by victories. They have seven in a row. And the last two due to differences close to 30 points against Buducnost and Gran Canaria.
The victory against Gran Canaria seals his ticket for the Copa del Rey de Granada and also keeps him with options to appear in the draw as one of the top seeds. To do this, they must win on Sunday at the home of Lenovo Tenerife. The triumph did not have a special protagonist. Van Rossom and Hermannsson directing; López-Arostegui in defensive intensity; and Dublljevic and Tobey, in the paint, led a good choral work of a group that, after all the difficulties overcome, seems like a ‘outsider‘ very dangerous facing the Cup. In the canaries, only Ennis kept up the type (15 points).
It was he who wanted to seize the game from the beginning. The American was faster than Pradilla and stronger than Prepelic and Valencia was not right with his pair. Hermannsson kept his team ahead with several assists that gave them several easy baskets. The triple did not enter… Until it appeared on the Labeyrie track. Three in a row the Frenchman plugged in, something that put the first serious advantage for Valencia (23-15, min. 9).
The second act was a continuation of the first. The cover of the triple hoop had been removed and Valencia began to put them from 6.75. And above behind, with a hyperactive López-Arostegui, he short-circuited the Canarian scoring routes. Eight triples before the break for the taronjas. One by Hermansson and a basket by Pradilla at the buzzer in the second quarter made it a round 50-30, with two quarters to play.
Gran Canaria had no choice but to press down on defense to try any comeback option. But the gasoline lasted only a few minutes. Valencia continued with its well-oiled defense machine with help and fluency in attack. Dubljevic dominated in both areas. A rebound of his in attack with a basket by Arostegui was the definitive blow (62-38, min. 26).
The duel was more for individual statistics than anything else. Van Rossom warmed up his with several three-pointers. In the last minutes, the relaxation of Valencia made Gran Canaria make up the score somewhat, although it also finished close to 30 points.