Valencia Basket wants to bid for the ‘top 6’ against a direct rival
The ‘orange’ team is looking for its second victory of the year in La Fonteta against Panathinaikos
Valencia Basket will aspire to finish the nineteenth day of the Regular Phase of the 2023/24 Euroleague in the ‘top 6’ of the classification with a new victory this Friday (8:30 p.m.) in La Fuente de San Luis against a direct rival such as Greek Panathinaikos somewhat ‘touched’ after their defeat against Baskonia.
The ‘taronja’ team started 2024 with a victory against Anadolu Efes (93-88) and is now looking for the third consecutive victory against its fans, against whom it knows it must become stronger to be able to fight for a direct ticket to some ‘playoffs’ that They look very expensive for another season and against which they will play again next week (Zalgiris). Alex Mumbrú’s team is with a balance of 10-8, ninth and in ‘Play-In’ positions, but tied with its next visitor, who is fifth and whom it hopes to surpass in the table.
For Alex Mumbrú, Panathinaikos “is playing great basketball, with a lot of talent in all positions.” “They have a lot of physicality, with players like Lessort, and it is a team clearly made to be at the top, the team that we had the hardest time playing against during the first round. There they overran us and we didn’t know how to find solutions,” highlighted the coach. in the preview of the match in relation to the clear victory of Ergin Ataman’s team in the first round (90-73).
“I’m worried about how we will get to this game on our legs, we have a long team, we have many players and anyone can come in at any time, and that makes us a better team. We will try to have those who have more legs and those who are better physically to be able to face a tough game,” said the Catalan, who will miss Víctor Claver and who has 14 players, including the newcomer Kevin Pangos, who did not participate against Efes.
The Valencian team will try to bet on recovering its best defensive level against a team with less ‘artillery’ than the Turkish team and on the collective game in attack that worked on Wednesday with up to six players above 10 points to chain their sixth victory followed in La Fonteta against a Panathinaikos that is not at all good at playing in Spain where it has not won for a long time.
The Athenian team, which has not won at La Fonteta since 2010 (56-72), extended its curse in Spanish territory with a defeat against Baskonia at the Fernando Buesa Arena by 75-73 and after wasting a 17-point lead at the start of the third quarter, which broke their good moment of four consecutive wins in the Euroleague.
Ergin Ataman, who has the doubt of a key player like point guard Kostas Sloukas, will need some improvement on the offensive level compared to Wednesday where only Kendrick Nunn (25 points) was really inspired, especially through Mathias Lessort, who He stayed at one point in Vitoria.
DATASHEET.
–EQUIPMENT.
VALENCIA BASKET: Jones, Robertson, Puerto, Reuvers and Davies –possible starting five–; Inglis, Ojeleye, Anderson, Touré, López-Arostegui, Jovic, Hermannsson, Harper and Pangos.
Left6:There is no advertising configuration for the requested slot
PANATHINAIKOS: Vildoza, Nunn, Grigonis, Hernangómez y Lessort –possible quinteto inicial–? Sloukas, Grant, Mitoglou, Balcerowski, Kalaitzakis, Antetokounmpo and Mantzoukas.
–REFEREES: Difallah, Jovcic and Shemmesh.
–PAVILLION: San Luis Fountain.
–TIME: 20.30/#Let’s go.
2024-01-05 03:50:11
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