By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
In an intense battle for home-court advantage in the EuroLeague Playoffs 2026, Valencia snapped a historic hoodoo on Tuesday night by fending off second-place Olympiacos, 85–84, at the Roig Arena.
The Round 33 victory ended a bizarre eight-game streak where the road team had won every matchup in this series, marking the first time the Reds failed to secure a win on Valencia’s floor in nine attempts. The contest was a back-and-forth war featuring 16 lead changes, beginning with nine shifts in a volatile first half. Despite facing a nine-point deficit, Valencia ignited the second half with a 7-0 run to reclaim momentum. The fourth quarter took a surreal turn with 7:48 remaining when Jean Montero, shooting over the basket for the second time, actually broke the shot clock, forcing a brief suspension of play.
The drama peaked in the final minute when Braxton Key, who finished with 12 points, secured a huge steal that led to a transition bucket and an 81-79 lead. After Sasha Vezenkov tied the game at 81-81, 22-year-old Montero put the Taronges up with a midrange jumper, only for Evan Fournier to answer with a cold-blooded three-pointer for an 84-83 Olympiacos lead with 13.7 seconds left.
In the dying moments, Montero earned a foul with 2.9 seconds remaining but was forced to the bench with an eye injury. In a bold move, Pedro Martinez looked to his bench for a replacement.
“He has a great mentality. He’s a great free-throw shooter, and he’s a winner. Everybody has confidence in him,” said the 64-year-old tactician in a flash interview, commenting on the decision to put Sergio De Larrea on the charity stripe for the go-ahead free throws, despite the young guard being limited to just 2:57 of playing time for the night.
The 20-year-old guard calmly sank both shots to seal the win. Following a final timeout, 33-year-old Fournier missed a potential game-winning shot as time expired.
Despite missing out on hitting at least one three-pointer for a 27th straight continental showing, Montero ended with 16 points, six assists, and three rebounds. Brancou Badio led the team in scoring with 15 points and provided effective defense on Fournier in the last play. On the losing side, Vezenkov posted a PIR of at least 12 for an 18th straight game, finishing with 17 points and six rebounds.
With this win, Valencia moves to 21-12 and secures a crucial tiebreaker advantage over the Greek giants, who fall to 22-11. Pedro Martinez’s squad achieved the feat despite dealing with roster uncertainties regarding Montero, Kameron Taylor, and Xabi Lopez-Arostegui. Ultimately, 28-year-old Lopez-Arostegui was ruled out due to a hamstring injury, joined on the sidelines by healthy scratches Isaac Nogues and Yankuba Sima. They now prepare for a double-game week trip to face Partizan Mozzart Bet this Thursday.
The visitors entered the contest missing Cory Joseph, Giannoulis Larentzakis, Omiros Netzipoglou, Moustapha Fall, and Keenan Evans, who were all ruled out for the trip. Although Shaquielle McKissic traveled with the team, he was ultimately left out of the active lineup for the game.