Valencia (10-9) is aiming to keep its place in the all-important top ten with a visit from Zalgiris (6-13).
Alex Mumbru, Valencia: 'It's being a very tough EuroLeague'
Seasons
3 Mins read
Regular Season
Round 20 of 34
Regular Season
Valencia BasketVBC
7984
Zalgiris KaunasZAL
Overview
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Chris Jones was Valencia's top performer with 16 points when the Spanish side won easily, 72-87, in Kaunas earlier this season. His backcourt duel with Keenan Evans, who netted 18 points in that game, is sure to be a key feature of this meeting. Valencia will also hope for another strong performance in the paint from center Damien Inglis, who averaged 10.5 and 8.5 rebounds in last week's double-round week.
Alex Mumbru, Valencia head coach
"It will be a tough game, Zalgiris was playing good basketball and now, with the coach change, they still play well. They are running more now and maybe playing tougher. They played domestic league, but they could rest some players for this double-round week, so they will be recovered against us. We had some rotations due to fatigue, but it's important to recover physically and compete at home against Zalgiris. It's being a very tough EuroLeague. Not only because of the schedule, but also because of the level of the games. Our game against Panathinaikos had the intensity of the playoffs. The physical levels at which the games are being played at are tough tests."
Andrea Trinchieri, Zalgiris head coach
"Valencia Basket play very aggressive, they can score, they can shoot the ball. La Fonteta is a tough place to play. I have always had tough games there. It is a game with a lot of things to face. It is a difficult task, so we have to be very consistent, try to improve step by step and try to put together the best possible game on both ends of the court."
Nate Reuvers, Valencia player
"This is an important game we want to win. It's a tough week for all teams - we are all tired, but it is important to keep winning if we want to have a shot at the playoffs. Our game in Kaunas was one of the best for us this season, and I think we can replicate that if we play tough and put everything we have on the table while playing as a team. I think the new signings are a good fit for us, because we have more flexibility, especially with injuries. We have a team with many players and they are all ready to help."
Rolands Smits, Zalgiris player
"Valencia Basket is a very physical team playing very physical basketball with a lot of talented players. We have to be prepared. We will have to play physical basketball ourselves to beat this kind of opponent. They have a lot of dangerous players: Brandon Davies, Chris Jones, and many others. They are a very dangerous team. Valencia is a physical team, and that physicality is why they can play intensively on defense. We are trying to improve our game on many aspects."