By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Valencia took a step back last summer, moving from the EuroLeague to the EuroCup, but Pedro Martínez’s side is making significant strides this season.
The Taronja are in the EuroCup semifinals, where they will face Hapoel Tel Aviv, and they are also pushing strong in the ACB League, breaking records every other night. In Round 24 of Liga Endesa, Valencia crushed Leyma Coruña 127-81.
As a result, they set new ACB records for team scoring and assists (35). This performance has earned them second place in the standings (18-16), just behind Real Madrid (19-4).
Seven players reached double figures for Martínez’s team, with Jean Montero leading the way, scoring 18 points, grabbing seven rebounds, and dishing out five assists, while Josep Puerto added 17 points.
Interestingly, Thomas Heurtel had a solid game for Coruña, recording a double-double with 16 points and 12 assists, but it wasn’t nearly enough.
Elsewhere, after beating Bayern Munich in the EuroLeague earlier in the week, Baskonia emerged victorious once again, taking down Manresa 90-84 in the domestic championship.
Markus Howard caught fire again, scoring 27 points on 5/11 shooting from beyond the arc. Trent Forrest followed with 13 points and nine assists as Pablo Laso’s team closed the gap to the Playoff spots with a 12-12 record.
ACB League Round 24
Valencia – Coruna 127-81
Girona – Gran Canaria 86-95
Breogan – Murcia 70-86
Baskonia – Manresa 90-84
Lleida – Joventut (23/03)
Tenerife – ANdorra (23/03)
Barcelona – Zaragoza (23/03)
Bilbao – Granada (23/03)
Unicaja – Real Madrid (23/03)
Standings: Real Madrid 19-4, Valencia 18-6, Tenerife 18-5, Unicaja 17-6….