The Spanish side joins domestic rivals Real Madrid and FC Barcelona as the only teams with a 100% record in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague.
Experience led Valencia to third straight home win
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Valencia Basket has made it three wins from three to start the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season, as it powered past Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv 75-66 at La Fonteta on Wednesday night.
The hosts were inspired by solid performances from their experienced players in particular, with Victor Claver and Stefan Jovic recording a PIR of 16 each, Damien Inglis scoring a team-high 11 points and Brandon Davies putting the game to bed in crunch time.
Jovic was a safe pair of hands
Jovic came off the bench and made an instant impact, scoring a basket in the closing stages of the first quarter to give Valencia a morale-boosting 18-17 lead heading into the second period. He went on to record 7 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals in almost 20 minutes on the floor.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” Jovic said afterward. “Third win in a row. We protected our home court, which is the most important thing now. When I step for the first time on the court here, I feel the support from the fans. I feel very comfortable on the court and, of course, when I spoke with the coach, he explained to me what I need to do. This is my job: to play for the team. And I really enjoy it.”
Claver led the way as team captain
Jovic was not the only veteran to step up when his team needed him the most, as Claver pulled off a player-of-the-game performance, also off the bench. The Valencia team captain scored 10 points, including a huge triple when Maccabi was leading 36-40 in the third quarter. His game-high 7 rebounds helped the hosts dominate the boards 35-27, and his steal in the third quarter allowed him to reach a milestone of 150 steals in his EuroLeague career.
“I think we are doing a great job as a team,” Claver noted after the game. “I think everybody is important in this team. We had to take advantage of the good shape we are in and keep going. I get to know the coach more, to know what he wants from me, and try to do it every day. No matter how many minutes I play, I try to push my teammates and be a leader on the bench and on the court. I think, as you can see, not only me but everyone is involved.”
Late heroics from Davies
Davies was one of those who delivered, despite a slow start to the game. The 32-year-old center scored 8 of his 10 points in the last 3 minutes of the duel and produced a huge block to reject Lorenzo Brown when Valencia was leading 68-64 with 01:13 left on the clock. Those two factors were crucial in Valencia sealing the victory.
Valencia's veterans pushed the hosts to victory on Wednesday night and they will be called to build on their three-game winning streak ahead of their first away duel of the season, which is away at Anadolu Efes Istanbul on Friday.