Valencia secured a 63:56 win over Olympiacos on the road in the 14th round of the EuroLeague, led by Stefan Jovic and Chris Jones.
Ahead of this match, Olympiacos coach Georgios Bartzokas warned that Valencia plays the best defense in the EuroLeague. The visiting team demonstrated just that in Greece, securing their third consecutive win and eighth overall this season. Olympiacos now has a record of 7-7.
From the second quarter onwards, Valencia took the lead and controlled the game, confirming their good form.
Stefan Jovic and Chris Jones, both with 12 points, were the top scorers for the winning team, with Damien Inglis contributing two points less. For Olympiacos, Thomas Walkup led with 13 points, while Kostas Papanikolaou scored 11.
In the next round, Valencia will host Partizan, while Olympiacos will face Virtus in Bologna.
The guests started the match better and took a 5-0 lead. Olympiacos scored their first points after two minutes and then went on a 12-0 run to take a 12-5 lead, with Isaiah Canaan hitting two three-pointers.
Points were hard to come by in the first quarter, and Serbian basketball player Filip Petrusev made his first appearance in EuroLeague for Olympiacos in front of the home crowd. After the first 10 minutes, the score was 15-14 in favor of the home team.
At the beginning of the second quarter, Martin Hermannsson appeared in Valencia’s lineup, returning after an injury that kept him out for about a year and a half; he returned last weekend in an Endesa League match. Valencia started better after his points, taking a 20-16 lead. Since Stefan Jovic entered the game towards the end of the first quarter, he somehow connected the guests, who took a 28-19 lead. Olympiacos lost nine balls in the first half, with an average of 11 turnovers per game this season.
Both teams played outstanding defense, and the halftime score was 35-26 in favor of Valencia.
The third quarter started much like the previous two—tightly contested from both sides. Valencia reached a double-digit lead for the first time, 43:31. The home players became nervous, started missing easy shots, and on the other side, Alex Mumbru’s players remained composed, maintaining their lead, which was 47:38 before the last 10 minutes.
In the final quarter, there were many interruptions, free throws… After three minutes of play, the home team, through Nikola Milutinov, managed to reduce the deficit to 49:42. Then, the guests responded with a mini 4:0 run, and with four minutes to go, the score was 53:42. The home team then scored two three-pointers, closing the gap to 53:48.
Then, a crucial moment in the game, as Canaan committed an offensive foul on Jovic at a score of 55:50, and in the next attack, Victor Claver hit a three-pointer for an unreachable 58:50 lead.
OLYMPIACOS – VALENCIA 56:63 ( 15:14, 11:21, 12:12, 18:16)
Arena: “Peace and friendship”
Referees: Radovic, Bissang, Silva
Olympiacos: Walkup 13, Williams-Goss, Canaan 8, Lountzis , Larentzakis 3, Fall 7, Papanikolau 11, Brazdeikis 4, Petrusev, Milutinov 6, Sikma 1, McKissic 3.
Valencia: Claver 5, Puerto 5, Reuvers 4, Pradila , Jones 12, Ferrnndo, Inglis 10, Jovic 12, Toure 2, Hermannsson 4, Robertson 3, Davies 6.