By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
After already guaranteeing a place among the top six, Valencia Basket approached the penultimate game of the regular season with the clear objective of finishing in the top four.
Despite facing a formidable opponent in Panathinaikos, who arrived at the Roig Arena after dominating in Barcelona, Pedro Martínez’s side claimed an emphatic 102–84 victory, securing home-court advantage for the EuroLeague playoffs.
As usual, Valencia’s scoring was well distributed: Jean Montero led the way with 22 points, while Nate Reuvers added 16, Brancou Badio 14, and Kam Taylor, Josep Puerto, and Matt Costello contributed 10 points each.
For the visitors, Nigel Hayes-Davis was the top scorer with 19 points.
Although the home team never produced a huge scoring run, they controlled the game and steadily increased their lead. In fact, the Greek side only led once, at 0–2; from that moment on, Valencia Basket took over and built a double-digit advantage in the second quarter, going into halftime with a nine-point lead (56–47).
The momentum remained unchanged after the break, and in the final quarter the hosts reached their biggest lead of the game: +20 (102–82) with a minute and a half remaining, turning the closing moments into a celebration for the home crowd.