Experience and youth combined in Gran Canaria's comeback

A dramatic ending came with equal contributions from experienced veterans and a recent teenager as Gran Canaria put itself in the driver's seat in Group B with a 91-90 overtime win against Valencia Basket.

Tuesday's clash for first place in Group B, a Spanish derby between Gran Canaria and Valencia Basket, lived up to its billing. Gran Canaria pulled out a 91-90 overtime win after putting together an improbable comeback at the end of regulation.

The dramatic ending was fitting for a clash that was intriguing not only because it featured two teams that know each other so well battling for the first place, but because of the recent matchups between the two clubs. Gran Canaria edged Valencia 89-90 in Round 3 on the road,but Valencia triumphed by 29 points in their Spanish League match four days ago, also in Valencia.

"We played these guys in a Spanish League game just a couple of days ago, and they beat us pretty bad," Gran Canaria's top scorer, A.J. Slaughter, said after the win. "We wanted to come out and show ourselves. We came out and fought hard. Fought until the end and got a win."

Gran Canaria did fight until the end, but it did not look as if it that would be enough. Klemen Prepelic, scoreless until 2 minutes to go in the third quarter, netted 18 points in the next 10 minutes to help put Valencia up 73-81 with 2 minutes to go in regulation time.

However, Gran Canaria finished that fourth quarter on an 8-0 run, which included a triple from Nicolas Brussino, his first basket of the game, and a three-pointer from Slaughter that tied it at 81-81 with 35 seconds to go.

"I think we played really well in the last minutes of the game," Gran Canaria head coach Porfi Fisac stated.

It is not uncommon to see experienced, veteran teams like Gran Canaria play well with game on the line. For example, Slaughter scored 12 of his game-high 23 points in the fourth quarter, making one clutch shot after another. But one of the players that has stepped up in this one was a youngster, Gran Canaria center Khalifa Diop.

Just 16 days removed from celebrating his 20th birthday, Diop scored 6 of his career-best 18 points in overtime. Diop also pulled down 9 rebounds, including 5 offensive rebounds.

It was a part of the grand scheme of things. As Coach Fisac said later. Grana Canaria tried to play with a small lineup, but nonetheless attempted 54 two-point shots for the night, tied for fourth-most in club history. Diop's more experienced fellow big man also finished in double figures; Artem Pustovyi with 12 points and Oliver Stevic with 10. Just the three of them made 19 two-pointers on 29 attempts. The entire Valencia team was 15-for-28 inside the arc.

And even though it did not look as it might end well with 2 minutes left in regulation time, Gran Canaria rallied and snatched a win that gives it a cushion atop the Group B standings with a 9-2 record. It also gives the team a sweep of Valencia, making the team from Las Palmas a clear favorite to finish first in the group.