Power Electronics Valencia took an important step forward in Group J with a 64-69 victory over Hapoel Jerusalem in a battle between the first two ULEB Cup champs in the Israeli capital. Valencia improved to 4-1 in the group having won every game since losing to Hapoel in the Last 16 opener. Valencia will clinch first place in the group if it wins its finale next week against UNICS Kazan. Jerusalem, which fell to 3-2, also controls its own destiny and will advance to the Quarterfinals with a win over Galatasaray Café Crown next week in Istanbul. Valencia surged ahead when Thomas Kelati nailed 3 threes in a 1-12 start to the second quarter. The visitors led by as many as 15 before Hapoel rallied to start the fourth quarter down 53-54. But that was as close as it got. Kelati finished by making 5 of 8 threes on the way to a season-high 17 points. Kosta Perovic added 13 points and 3 blocked shots, Nando De Colo scored 11 and Matt Nielsen posted 10 points and 7 rebounds. Kevinn Pinkney paced Hapoel with 15 points, Pooh Jeter came off the bench for 13 and Brandon Hunter added 10 in defeat.

Jerusalem went inside to Hunter to open the scoring and Valencia countered with Perovic at the other end. Rafa Martinez’s three-point play gave the visitors their first lead only to see Hapoel tie the game 8-8 on a Dijon Thompson triple. Victor Claver also scored from downtown and Perovic added a basket inside to keep Valencia ahead, but Pinkney heated up and nailed a pair of three-pointer as Hapoel soared ahead 18-13. Matt Nielsen stepped up in the paint with an assist to Perovic and a basket of his own before De Colo tied the score with a three-pointer. A Yuval Naimy free throw put Hapoel up 21-20 after 10 minutes. Kelati got on the scoreboard with a three to open the second quarter and Nielsen’s layup-plus-foul on the break extended the lead to 5. However Nielsen soon took a seat after butting heads with Sharon Shason. Kelati stayed hot and pounded in two more threes to give Valencia its first double-digit lead, 22-32. The lead reached 11 on a third-chance Serhiy Lishchuk three before Hapoel fought back. Hunter converted a three-point play and Thompson’s steal led to a Yogev Ohayon layup as the crowd started to sing, however Kelati added one more three to keep Valencia in control. And Marko Marinovic made it 31-43 with his team’s 9th three of the half. Jeter came off the bench to sink a jumper and bring the hosts within 33-43 at the half.

Perovic made a baseline jumper and Claver a free throw as Valencia looked to put the game away. A missed slam by Hunter did not help the hosts any and Perovic put Valencia up 15 from the line. The tied changed instantly when Tre Simmons knocked down a triple. Jeter copied him before darting inside for a layup to make it 41-48 and cause Valencia head coach Neven Spahija to call timeout. Still Jerusalem rallied and got within 45-49 on a Pinkney tip-in. Rafa Martinez came back with a big three for the visitors and Perovic swatted a Jeter layup attempt, but a Thompson steal and slam kept the local fans loud. Thompson further narrowed the gap to 3 from the line and then Naimy scored a fastbreak layup to bring the hosts within 53-54 before the start of the fourth quarter. Both teams struggled to score in halfcourt sets and when Kelati finally sank a triple two minutes into the last quarter, it was Valencia’s first field goal in more than six minutes of game time. A traveling call on Naimy was followed by a Nielsen spin move and foul as the lead grew to 7. De Colo made it 55-65 on the break as the once boisterous crowd fell silent. Simmons nailed a three for Jerusalem’s first basket of the fourth quarter after six-plus minutes, but a Kelati steal and De Colo layup practically ensured a Valencia win. Every basket was still crucial in the end with the possibility of head-to-head and three-way tiebreakers still looming at the end of the Last 16. In the end, a Naimy basket cut the gap to 5, a result that ensures Hapoel controls its own destiny headed into the Last 16 finale.