Valencia defeated Joventut 87:75 in Game 3 of the Liga Endesa semifinal series to secure a place in the finals.
Valencia already knows its opponent in the championship series, as Barcelona had previously booked its spot by sweeping Tenerife 3-0 in the semifinals.
Pedro Martinez’s team got off to a great start, especially thanks to Jean Montero, who knocked down three three-pointers in the opening minutes to give his side the lead. However, Joventut quickly woke up. Little by little, they chipped away at the deficit and even took the lead at one point, but Valencia still headed into the first break with a 20-18 advantage.
The second quarter was marked by momentum swings. Jabari Parker sparked a comeback for Joventut, with Cameron Hunt providing support, while Braxton Key and Kameron Taylor answered on the other end for Valencia. Another run followed, as Parker and Ricky Rubio brought the game level, but the visitors once again managed to regain a slim lead and went into halftime ahead 41-39.
JABARI PARKER VA CON TODO 😤
— Liga Endesa (@ACBCOM) June 14, 2026
Tremendo 2+1 para encender a todo el Olímpic #PlayoffLigaEndesa | @Penya1930 pic.twitter.com/wLjc6z1BqA
Joventut opened the second half in better fashion, while Montero kept Valencia afloat before the visitors put on a complete show. They held their opponents scoreless for more than four minutes and, during that stretch, went on a 16-0 run to build a double-digit lead. Hunt managed to soften the blow late in the quarter, making it 64-55 heading into the final period.
Joventut refused to give up, despite Brancou Badio finding his rhythm as well. Michael Ruzic contributed with important baskets, while Parker and Rubio continued to lead the charge, helping the Badalona club claw its way back into the game. However, they eventually ran out of steam in the closing stages and were unable to complete another comeback.
The leading scorer for the winning team was Montero with 24 points, while Taylor added 13. For the losing side, Rubio scored 17 points and Parker contributed 15.
