2017-18Regular SeasonRound 25
March 08, 2018 CET: 20:30
Local time: 20:30 LA FONTETA

Late charge lifts Baskonia in Valencia

Baskonia Vitoria Gasteiz kept its playoffs challenge very much alive by scoring the last 13 points of the game to sink Valencia Basket and gain a priceless 71-81 road win. It was close throughout until the visiting team raced clear in the final stages, holding Valencia scoreless for the final four and a half minutes. Marcelinho Huertas was the star of the show for Baskonia, combining 19 points on 8-of-10 two-point shooting with 7 assists. There was also a major contribution from a pair of big men, with Johannes Voigtmann pairing 16 points and 9 rebounds, and Vincent Poirier posting a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds. Baskonia climbed to 12-13 in the standings and remaining one win off the top half. Playing against his former team, Fernando San Emeterio paced Valencia with 15 points, Bojan Dubljevic added 12 and Tibor Pleiss 10 for the host, which dropped to 9-16.

A 0-6 start for Baskonia included 4 points for Patricio Garino, but Valencia then launched an 8-0 run with 5 points from San Emeterio. A layup and triple from Voigtmann restored Baskonia’s lead, but San Emeterio’s three-point play swung the lead again. Sergi Garcia penetrated to score from close range towards the end of the first quarter, which finished 20-16 after a tip-in from Ilimane Diop on the buzzer. Toko Shengelia started the second quarter with a driving layup and Huertas levelled the score with a floater. Joan Sastre bounced a triple off the rim to restart Valencia, but Shengelia exploded a slam and Voigtmann scored a mid-range jumper for the lead. Sastre sent Valencia back in front with a layup plus one and Dubljevic struck twice to make it 30-24. Rodrigue Beaubois got Baskonia back on the board and Poirier battled for a three-point play, but free throws gave Valencia a 36-31 half-time edge.

San Emeterio started the second half with a slam, but Janis Timma hit a baseline triple in response. Alberto Abalde scored from long range either side of two-pointers from Huertas, who then teed up Poirier for an alley-oop. Huertas raced through the defense to score again, but Dubljevic’s triple protected Valencia’s lead. Huertas’s strong contribution continued with assists for Shengelia and Timma, before Voigtmann levelled the score with a thunderous dunk. A triple from Timma sent Baskonia ahead and Voigtmann added another slam, but Pleiss twice scored with a smooth touch to keep it close. Will Thomas netted from downtown to make it 55-53 after three quarters. Pleiss dunked and tipped in at the start of the fourth before Voigtmann and Guillem Vives traded triples. Erick Green scored on the fastbreak to make it 64-58. Garino and Pleiss scored from close-range before Huertas netted another floater. Thomas and Huertas weaved to the basket to finish, and Beaubois levelled the game at 68-68 with five minutes remaining. San Emeterio scored again from downtown, but that proved to be Valencia’s last points. Huertas answered with another individual score, and Garino’s triple and Matt Janning’s driving layup made it 71-76. Huertas made three free throws and Poirier scored from long-range to complete the victory.

Marcelinho Huertas - Baskonia Vitoria Gasteiz - EB17
Thursday, March 8, 2018
Euroleague.net
Referees: CHRISTODOULOU, CHRISTOS; JAVOR, DAMIR; FRITZ, CLEMENS
Attendance: 7026
By Quarter1234
Valencia Basket20161916
KIROLBET Baskonia Vitoria Gasteiz16152228
End of Quarter1234
Valencia Basket20365571
KIROLBET Baskonia Vitoria Gasteiz16315381
Valencia Basket
  Rebounds Blocks Fouls
# Player Min Pts 2FG 3FG FT O D T As St To Fv Ag Cm Rv PIR
0 THOMAS, WILL 25:06 6 1/2 1/2 1/2 2 3 5 2         1 2 11
5 GARCIA, SERGI 8:23 2 1/3 0/1   1 2 3           2    
6 ABALDE, ALBERTO 16:43 5   1/4 2/2       1 1       1 1 4
14 DUBLJEVIC, BOJAN 23:21 12 2/9 2/4 2/2 1 2 3 3   1   1 1 3 9
16 VIVES, GUILLEM 12:53 3   1/3     1 1 4 1 1     4   2
17 MARTINEZ, RAFA 12:58 3 0/2 1/2         2 1     1 1 1 2
19 SAN EMETERIO, FERNANDO 28:56 15 4/6 2/5 1/1 1 2 3 1   1       2 15
21 PLEISS, TIBOR 12:26 10 5/7     1   1     1     3   5
22 WILLIAMS, LATAVIOUS 4:13           1 1               1
30 SASTRE, JOAN 17:27 8 2/3 1/2 1/1   1 1 2 1 1   1   3 11
32 GREEN, ERICK 15:10 3 1/1 0/4 1/2       1           2 1
42 DOORNEKAMP, AARON 22:24 4 0/3   4/4 2 3 5 1   1     3 4 7
Team           1 3 4               4
Totals 200:00 71 16/36 9/27 12/14 9 18 27 17 4 6 0 3 16 18 72
        44.4% 33.3% 85.7%
Head coach: VIDORRETA, TXUS
Min: Minutes played; Pts: Points; 2FG M-A: 2-point Field Goals (Made-Attempted); 3FG M-A: 3-point Field Goals (Made-Attempted); FT M-A: Free Throws (Made-Attempted); Rebounds: O (Offensive), D (Defensive), T (Total); As: Assists; St: Steals; To: Turnovers; Bl: Blocks (Fv: In Favor / Ag: Against); Fouls: Cm (Commited), Rv (Received); PIR: Performance Index Rating
KIROLBET Baskonia Vitoria Gasteiz
  Rebounds Blocks Fouls
# Player Min Pts 2FG 3FG FT O D T As St To Fv Ag Cm Rv PIR
3 VILDOZA, LUCA DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
6 TIMMA, JANIS 21:22 8 1/1 2/7   1 1 2 1         2   4
7 VOIGTMANN, JOHANNES 30:47 16 4/6 2/2 2/2 2 7 9 2 1       2 1 25
8 MALMANIS, RINALDS DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
9 HUERTAS, MARCELINHO 22:43 19 8/10   3/3   1 1 7   1     1 5 28
10 BEAUBOIS, RODRIGUE 22:31 4 2/6 0/2     2 2     1 1   1 1  
11 JANNING, MATT 17:29 2 1/2 0/4         1     1   1 2  
12 DIOP, ILIMANE 6:28 2 1/1     1 1 2           1 2 5
15 GRANGER, JAYSON 17:17 2 1/1 0/3     1 1 3   2         1
17 POIRIER, VINCENT 20:56 10 4/7   2/3 3 9 12     3 1   4 2 14
23 SHENGELIA, TORNIKE 21:49 7 3/4 0/1 1/2 2 3 5 2         3 1 9
29 GARINO, PATRICIO 18:38 11 3/4 1/1 2/2   1 1   1 3     3 2 8
Team           1 1 2     1         1
Totals 200:00 81 28/42 5/20 10/12 10 27 37 16 2 11 3 0 18 16 95
        66.7% 25% 83.3%
Head coach: MARTINEZ, PEDRO

Head Coaches

VIDORRETA, TXUS
Valencia Basket
"It was a tight game, we had control in the first half and even the first 30 minutes. But in the last quarter, especially the last two minutes, they scored with great percentages in the paint and we missed some open shots. That usually decides the result. We have to play to the maximum level for every game, and today we could only do that for 37 minutes. We have had a good second half of the season, winning five of the last seven home games and we will continue to fight in the EuroLeague until the end."
MARTINEZ, PEDRO
KIROLBET Baskonia Vitoria Gasteiz

"The important thing is the players played better in the second half. We passed better and made better defense, and I’m happy to beat a great team like Valencia. In the first half we had some problems with our pick-and-roll defense, but we changed the tactics in the second half and I think it was a good decision for our team."

"We knew before the game that Maccabi won, and because of this it was a very important win to stay close to eighth place. It was very emotional for me to return here and I’m very grateful to the Valencia fans for the reception they gave me."

Players

THOMAS, WILL
Valencia Basket
"We got off to slow start but came back and took control of the game. We had a good rhythm in the first half, but in the third quarter we lost our rhythm and in the fourth quarter that continued. We missed a lot of shots and gave up easy baskets, which allowed them to win the game."
HUERTAS, MARCELINHO
KIROLBET Baskonia Vitoria Gasteiz
"Another good performance, I’m happy we won, we needed the win. I feel comfortable playing in this court, I don’t know why, but it’s motivating I guess. We know we needed this win on the road, we have a bunch of games at home and we’ve got to be strong at home, but every win on the road can be huge for us in this fight for the playoffs."