The Spanish team is not celebrating yet despite a huge win over Cluj
Chris Jones was staying focused after leading Valencia to victory

Valencia Basket’s 98-74 victory over UB-T Cluj-Napoca felt like the Spanish team was not only advancing to the next stage but also sending a message for the rest of the teams remaining in the BKT EuroCup, with a ruthless and focused performance that saw Coach Pedro Martinez’s men lead by double digits for nearly 33 minutes.
Although this was truly a team effort, the best performer statistically was Chris Jones with a game-high 14 points along with 9 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocked shots for a PIR of 18.
And the point guard readily agreed with the notion that this performance was a clear statement of intent for the title-chasing Taronjas, with Jones saying, "Definitely we wanted to show something in our first game in the playoffs in the EuroCup.
“We went out, we played hard, we got after it defensively, and I think that sparked the game for us, getting out on transition and stuff like that. We executed, not the best that could have, but we got the win, so I’m happy with that.”
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The impression that Valencia knows its job is nowhere near done was further strengthened by the lack of celebratory atmosphere at the final buzzer. The Spanish team has already won the EuroCup on three occasions since 2010 and is clearly in the mood to add another trophy, with Jones keeping his game face on as he assessed the upcoming challenge presented by Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv in the last four.
“It’s a journey,” he said. “We’ve got this one, we’ll enjoy it tonight, and then we’ll get back to the drawing board, focus on what we need to do and prepare ourselves.”
Judging by Wednesday’s performance, Valencia will not be lacking preparation or focus when the matchup with Hapoel rolls around.