Valencia defeated Barcelona by 79:76 on away court in the 21st round of the Liga Endesa, securing their 13th win.
The Catalan squad now holds a record of 14 wins and 7 losses after this game, while the Valencia have improved their standing with a record of 13 wins and 8 losses. This marked Valencia’s first triumph at Blaugrana in just over two years. They managed to overturn the game despite the absence of their star player, Brandon Davies.
Right from the start, there were several lead changes, but Barcelona gained its first significant advantage with the contributions of Jabari Parker (15:9). Semi Ojeleye managed to bring his team back to a tie, resulting in a 19:19 score after the first ten minutes of play.
A similar scenario unfolded in the second quarter. Barcelona mostly succeeded in building a lead of seven points, but once again, there was a late-game slump. The players of the Catalan team struggled with defensive solutions, highlighted by the fact that Valencia had 16 free throws in the first half. Interestingly, they made all their free throws, and the halftime score was 40:38 in favor of Barcelona.
Just when it seemed like Barcelona had established absolute control over the game and led 58:44, a completely unexpected turn of events unfolded. Valencia, including the beginning of the fourth quarter, created a 19:0 run, resulting in a major comeback for a 65:60 lead.
There were several lead changes on both sides afterward, with Chris Jones leading Valencia to a 79:74 advantage two minutes before the end. They lost the ball in the midfield, seized by Jabari Parker, narrowing the gap to just three points. Valencia then played an offensive possession without attempting a shot on the opponent’s basket with 17 seconds remaining. Nicolas Laprovittola took responsibility but missed the open three-pointer for overtime.
Semi Ojeleye was the top scorer for the winning team with 14 points and five rebounds, Jaime Pradilla added 13, and Chris Jones contributed seven, including a crucial basket two minutes before the end. Stefan Jovic made his contribution with 11 points and six rebounds. In the losing team, Willy Hernangomez led with 16 points.
In the next round of the Liga Endesa, Barcelona will visit Manresa, while Valencia will travel to the Basque Country to face Bilbao.
In the other two games, Gran Canaria secured an 81:72 win on the road against Obradoiro, while Manresa edged out Granada with a narrow 94:93 win.