Another great team display sent the Spanish team into the last four
Valencia followed the script with another collective masterpiece
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3 Mins read
Boasting home-court advantage and the best record in the BKT EuroCup, it always looked like Valencia Basket was the red-hot favorite for Wednesday’s quarterfinal matchup with U-BT Cluj Napoca.
And so it proved, with the Spanish team once again firing on all cylinders to follow the script and claim a convincing 98-74 triumph, setting up a three-game semifinal series with Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv starting later this month.
This mismatch was an impressive exhibition of Valencia’s versatile qualities, showcasing exactly why coach Pedro Martinez’s men have been the competition’s dominant team throughout the season and are regarded by many as the most likely eventual champion.
Las Taronjas thrilled their fans inside a packed La Fonteta by netting 18-of-28 three-point attempts for a solid 64.3%, also adding 17 three-pointers on 42 efforts (40.5%) and delivering a demonstration of collective offense by dishing 30 assists. There was also physical dominance, with Valencia winning the battle of the boards 43-37, including 12 at the offensive end, and strong defense with 12 steals forcing a total of 18 Cluj turnovers.
The collective nature of the home team’s triumph was further illustrated by all 11 players who stepped on the floor scoring at least one field goal and grabbing at least one rebound, while eight players recorded assists and the 17 three-pointers came from 10 different players (only Stefan Jovic didn’t score a three-pointer, and he didn’t attempt one). And just to prove the point further, eight different Valencia players recorded a double-digit PIR.
The fact that strong contributions came from everywhere allowed coach Martinez to evenly distribute the playing time, with nobody playing more than Semi Ojeleye’s 23 minutes and nine different players getting at least 14 minutes on the floor.
So it’s clear that Valencia is looking very strong all over the court – and all over the bench – as it prepares for the last four matchup with Hapoel. And that collection of talent is producing the goods on a consistent basis, gaining double-digit victories in 11 of its 19 games so far this season.
Estamos en semis, Familia 🧡
— Valencia Basket Club (@valenciabasket) March 12, 2025
Vendrán más días así, ve preparando la garganta 🔥 pic.twitter.com/SL7nWW99en
Although satisfied with his team’s efforts, coach Martinez also showed the perfectionist streak possessed by so many sidelines chiefs as he pointed out areas for improvement and acknowledged the difficulties Cluj presented.
“We had some problems in the third quarter because Cluj played great defense, especially with [Adam] Mokoka pressing the ball,” he reflected. “We were out of our rhythm, but finally we recovered and I think they were tired in the last quarter. We had a longer roster today because they couldn’t count on [De'Shawn] Stephens, and that helped us.”
And although the first game of the semifinals is still a fortnight away, Martinez is already turning his mind to the matchup with Dimitris Itoudis’s Hapoel, and fully expecting a tough battle despite his team’s dominance so far.
“It’s going to be very easy for us to respect Hapoel Tel Aviv,” he reasoned. “They have a great roster and great coaches. For me, at the beginning of the season they were one of the favorites to win the competition and it’s going to be very hard.
“It’s going to be a great opponent for us, and will force us to play at 100%.”
Fortunately for Valencia, playing at 100% is something Martinez’s team is able to achieve on a near-weekly basis.