The 22-year-old guard ended the game on a career-high 29 points – 10 of which were scored in overtime
Jean Montero cooks Hapoel's defense as Valencia grabs overtime road win
Game Report
3 Mins read
Regular Season
Round 27 of 38
Regular Season
Hapoel IBI Tel AvivHTA
99104
Valencia BasketVBC
Overview
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Jean Montero personified Valencia Basket’s performance at Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv on Thursday night. The 22-year-old ended the first half at Menora Mivtachim Arena on just 4 points and no assists, having gone 1-for-5 from the field in just under 14 minutes. He would then go on to net 25 points across the second half and overtime, when he took over to inspire a 99-104 comeback victory on the road.
A trade of blows in the first quarter was followed by a flawless second for Hapoel, which went on a 23-4 run, held Valencia to just 12 points and grabbed a 49-36 lead at halftime.
A triple from Chris Jones gave Hapoel a 66-50 advantage midway through the third, but Valencia would explode to 38 points in the last 15 minutes of regulation, sending the game to overtime.
“It’s so hard to get wins in this league, especially on the road,” Nate Reuvers told EuroLeague TV after the game. “I think we were down 16 there in the second half. So it’s incredible, sticking together and just getting the win as a team is crazy.”
Indeed, Valencia had been struggling away from home lately, heading into this game on the back of three straight defeats on the road. They came close to clinching the victory in the closing stages of the fourth quarter, but two costly turnovers from Montero didn’t allow the guests to finish the game off.
Short memory is one of the biggest attributes of a leader, with Montero leaving those errors behind and dominating in overtime. After scoring inside for an 88-90 lead, the prodigious guard got himself onto the highlight reel by breaking Vasilije Micic’s ankles and draining a triple after sending his Hapoel counterpart to the floor.
Yam Madar, who bagged a career-high 20 points, netted a bucket that trimmed the deficit to 96-100, but Montero responded with 5 straight points, including a three-point play that put the game to bed.
“I’m a competitor,” Montero told EuroLeague TV. “That’s the first thing I’m going to say. I’m always trying to help the team. I was always going to do my best as I can. Just go out there and compete and do my best.”
Valencia head coach Pedro Martinez hailed Montero’s character, stressing that he “played with a great winner mentality.”
Indeed, Montero stepped up big time in overtime, when he netted 10 of Valencia's 16 points. He ended the night on a career-high 29 points, having gone 7-for-10 from inside the arc and a perfect 9-for-9 from the charity stripe. Montero also tied his personal best of 8 assists, all of which were recorded in the last 25 minutes of the game.
He was assisted by Reuvers, who scored 20 points, and Darius Thompson, who netted 17, including a three-point dagger in the closing stages. Meanwhile, Kam Taylor pulled off a complete outing on both ends, scoring 11 points and picking up a career-high 10 rebounds. More importantly, he produced some big defensive plays when it mattered most, helping Valencia seal the outcome.
Valencia has taken the EuroLeague by storm and with Montero leading the charge, the Spanish side seems unwilling to take its foot off the gas.
