The Spanish side showed why it is a contender to win the EuroCup
Valencia outlasts Hamburg in offensive exhibition, 105-78
Valencia Basket advanced to 2-0 by overcoming winless Veolia Towers Hamburg, 105-78, in a triumphant homecoming to La Fonteta for head coach Pedro Martinez.
Hamburg stayed close during a high-scoring first half, and initially hung in the game even after Valencia advanced into double-digit leads after the break. But Valencia finished the third quarter with a 17-2 run, taking control for good. Matt Costello excelled with 23 points on his Valencia home debut, while Stefan Jovic and Brancou Badio both scored 14, and Jean Montero had a double-double of 11 points and 11 assists. Billy Ivey led the way for Hamburg with 19 points, while Jaizec Lottie scored 14.
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Nate Reuvers started the game by scoring under the basket and from long range, before Ivey netted twice to keep Hamburg close, 7-6. Semi Ojeleye added a coast-to-coast layup and one, but Ivey struck from deep and Lottie completed a 0-7 run for Hamburg’s first lead, 13-15. Lottie added a long-range strike, only for 5 points from Costello to force another lead change, 21-20. The fast scoring pace continued as Ethan Happ netted twice, but Hamburg responded with another Lottie triple, making it 30-29 after 10 minutes.
Patrick Heckmann sent Hamburg back ahead early in the second, but Ojeleye’s battling bucket and Badio’s triple reignited Valencia. Jovic and Jaime Pradilla completed a 9-0 run for a 39-31 advantage, before Ivey struck from deep for Hamburg’s first score in more than three minutes. Montero’s floater and Jovic’s triple kept Valencia ahead, and Costello’s triple made it 48-39. Keondre Kennedy deep strike and Lottie’s slashing layup made it closer, but Montero had the word of the first half with a layup to make it 52-44.
Costello opened the third quarter with a pair of triples, and Badio was also on target from deep, making it 63-51. Kuath scored twice to keeping Hamburg battling, and Ivey’s three-point play followed by Lottie’s reverse layup and Kennedy’s corner three pulled it back to 65-61. Benedikt Turudic completed a 0-10 run, but Montero’s steal and layup-and-one settled the host and Jovic’s fast-break score made it 73-63. Xabi Lopez-Arostegui’s three-point play and a dunk from Reuvers broke the game, giving Valencia an 82-65 lead after three quarters.
Costello and Josep Puerto widened the gap as Hamburg continued to run out of steam, and Badio poured in a trio of triples to keep the home team in cruise control, 97-69. With the outcome decided, the intensity understandably dropped before Valencia reached double figures with a put-back from Reuvers and a deep strike from Montero. Triples from Leif Moeller and Jordan Barnett made the scoreboard look a little better for Hamburg, but Valencia was more than comfortable.