The Valencia guard’s game-winner in Athens last season is a shot he will remember forever.
Chris Jones, Valencia Basket: 'It was all or nothing'
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In his four seasons in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, Valencia Basket guard Chris Jones has made many big shots. This week is a good time to remember one of the biggest as Jones returns to the Greek capital for the first time since February when he sunk Panathinaikos Athens 91-92 with a three-pointer on the buzzer.
It was in Round 24 with Valencia in the heart of a tight playoff race. A loss to the Greens was something his team could ill-afford. And Jones stepped up when his team needed him to.
“Down the stretch, I was making some tough plays, whether it was for myself or my teammates. I felt like everything was going the way I wanted it to go,” Jones reflected.
After Matt Thomas put the hosts up 2 with 17 seconds to go, Valencia had the ball with a chance to tie it or win it. Jones had only one thought: “I knew I wasn’t going for overtime. It was all or nothing.”
During the timeout that preceded the final play, Coach Alex Mumbru made clear what he wanted to happen. “We wanted to get the ball into Chris’s hands to create a mismatch, to then be able to attack. But the players are the ones who make decisions,” Mumbru said.
Jones got the ball and through a screen created the mismatch, with agile forward Derrick Williams on him. Still, Jones made his move to shake off his defender, pump fake and drill the game-winning three on the buzzer.
“Probably one of the biggest moments in basketball in my life,” Jones summed up.