Apr 03, 2021 by Euroleague.net/graphic by Darius Garuolis Print
Coming off a painful home loss to Olympiacos Piraeus two days earlier, Valencia Basket needed to win on ALBA Berlin s court on Friday to assure that its chances to qualify for the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs would remain alive. As such, it was a do-or-die game for Valencia against another already-eliminated opponent playing without pressure because it had nothing to lose.
That disparity in expectations likely made a difference early in Friday s game. ALBA doubled Valencia at the end of the first quarter, 26-13, as the visibly tight visitors made just 4 of 14 field goal tries and turned the ball over 6 times. A four-point play by Marcus Eriksson early in the second quarter made it worse for Valencia, raising ALBA s advantage to 35-17 and triggering alarms on the visiting team.
Mar 13, 2021 by Euroleague.net Print
Fridayâs meeting at the Fonteta was a critical battle to reach the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs and both Valencia Basket and Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul were fully aware of it. A game full of intensity and physicality ensued, and when the dust settled, Valencia had managed to record its 15th regular season win, getting closer to playoffs territory.
Valencia used a great defensive effort to stop Fenerbahceâs offense like no other team in recent years. The hosts held Fenerbahce to 52 points, its lowest score since November 2016, when it registered an 86-52 loss against TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz. Its previous score of less than 52 points dates back to January 2009.
Mar 09, 2021 by Euroleague.net/graphic by Darius Garuolis Print
All you need to understand about how much passing has become trendy in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague is to know that the number of assists per game has risen from record to record in five of the last seven seasons, all of which were higher than any other before them this century.
So far in this one, that trend is continuing, with the 35.41 assists seen in an average EuroLeague game, slightly topping the record of 35.38 of the 2017-18 season.
That trend is being pulled by four teams this season who currently rank in the top 13 all-time in average assists. They are Valencia Basket ranked fourth, with 20.21 assists per game; ALBA Berlin (sixth, 20.18 apg.); TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (eighth, 19.9 apg.); and Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (13th, 19.6 apg.).
Feb 16, 2021 by Euroleague.net Print
Valencia Basket comes off one of its most exciting wins of the season in which it defeated CSKA Moscow 105-103 in double overtime. It was the team s fifth win by less than 5 points in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague this season. Shooting guard Klemen Prepelic was at the center of it, coming off the bench to make the difference. He scored 22 points with a career-high 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 6 fouls drawn, amassing a PIR of 23 in over 32 minutes of the floor, another personal best.
Prepelic has stepped up when his team has needed him. Valencia was without three perimeter players - Fernando San Emeterio, Joan Sastre and Guillem Vives, but Prepelic was there to provide the fireworks. Over his last three games, Prepelic has averaged 20.0 points on 12-of-27 three-point shooting (44.4%) and 20-of-24 on free throws (83.3%), while drawing 6.3 fouls per night and reaching a PIR of at least 20 in all three gam