To maintain its fast-fading hopes of play-in qualification, Valencia (14-18) simply must win against an ASVEL team (7-25) hoping for a positive end to the season.
Game Notes: Valencia vs. ASVEL
The Spanish team has lost its way at the worst time, struggling with the injury absence of key center Brandon Davies to suffer six defeats out of seven. ASVEL needs one more win to ensure it does not finish bottom of the standings, and will see Nando De Colo move into second place on the league's all-time scoring chart if he registers 3 or more points against his first EuroLeague club. Valencia gained an emphatic 55-78 win when the teams met in December behind 16 points from Semi Ojeleye, and will look for similarly stifling defense this week.
- Road teams have won the last three games in this rivalry, including Valencia thrashing ASVEL 55-78 in Round 13 as Boubacar Toure tied a club record with 4 blocks.
- In addition to playing nine games in the EuroLeague, with Valencia leading 5-4 in their head-to-head games, ASVEL and Valencia were 3-3 in their six EuroCup contests between 2012 and 2019.
- Valencia playmaker Chris Jones played for ASVEL in the 2021-22 season and helped the team win the French League.
- ASVEL guard Nando De Colo played at Valencia for three years, from 2009 to 2012. He helped the team win the 2010 EuroCup and made his EuroLeague debut there. He was a teammate of Victor Claver, who also made his EuroLeague debut during that time.
- The EuroLeague's all-time leader in free-throw accuracy, De Colo made a career-best 16 free throws without a miss playing for Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul against Valencia in December 2019.
- ASVEL big man Joffrey Lauvergne played briefly for Valencia in the early part of the 2012-13 season.
- ASVEL's Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Valencia center Brandon Davies were teammates at EA7 Emporio Armani Milan last season.
- Valencia forward Semi Ojeleye posted his career high with 8 rebounds playing for Virtus Segafredo Bologna against ASVEL in November 2022.
- Valencia's Xabi Lopez-Arostegui dished a career-high 6 assists against ASVEL in January 2023.
- ASVEL's Paris Lee scored a career-high 25 points while making a career-best 5 three-point shots while playing for Panathinaikos Athens against Valencia in February of last season.