Direct duel in the noble zone of the Endesa League at Baskonia’s court

Valencia Basket returns to the stage where two weeks ago played the Final of the King's Cup to face his third game of the week visiting the Baskonia’s court (Sunday 5, 18: 30h, Fernando Buesa Arena, # 0) in a direct duel between two teams that fight to position themselves as best as possible within the seeded positions facing the Playoffs of the Endesa League. The taronja expedition flew on Saturday directly from Moscow, where they lost the second game of their 7DAYS EuroCup quarter-finals vs. Khimki, to Vitoria with the absences already known of Slava Kravtsov and Antoine Diot. Both valencians and baskonistas arrive to this game in a good dynamic in national competition (both teams have a streak of three consecutive victories in Endesa League). The Taronja squad gets to this game as the third ranked of the championship, with a 15-5 in their locker, while Baskonia is fourth with a balance of 15 wins and 6 losses.

 

In a duel between two teams that are currently fighting for the same goals, Baskonia will try not only to win the victory but also to try to decant in his favor the particular basket-average between these two teams, favorable to Valencia Basket by 8 points due To the taronja victory of the first return by 99-91. To try it you will not be able to count on Andrea Bargnani, who is out due to a severe low back pain, and has the doubt of Hungarian forward Adam Hanga, who finished the Euroleague game with an overload in the left leg twin. Nevertheless, Sito Alonso recovers Toko Shengelia after almost two months of absence of Endesa League due to a fissure in the head of the right fibula and has enrolled to the Slovene Jaka Blazic for the dispute of this game. The baskonista squad will play this match with a different kit than usual, as the two teams of the colors exchange their colors in their matches of this day and the local box will jump on this occasion to the tables of the Fernando Buesa Arena with a white and blue.

 

Joan Sastre: "We should be regulars 40 minutes and minimize mistakes"

The Valencia Basket shooting guard pointed out before the game that Vitoria is "always a hard court against a team that is in very good shape, with great players that have been the MVP's of the last three weeks, twice Larkin and one time Hanga. It is a team that is very good, playing with a lot of confidence. I think it's going to be a very complicated game and if we want to win we have to do things very well the 40 minutes, be regular and try to make the least possible mistakes"

 

Rosters

BASKONIA

Nº

Nombre

Nacimiento

Posición

Alt.

0

Shane Larkin

EE.UU

Base

1.80

7

Johannes Voigtmann

Alemania

Pívot

2.11

8

Adam Hanga

Hungría

Alero

1.99

9

Tadas Sedekerskis

Lituania

Alero

2.00

10

Rodrigue Beaubois

Francia

Base

1.88

11

Jaka Blazic

Eslovenia

Alero

1.96

12

Ilimane Diop

Senegal/España

Pívot

2.10

14

Kim Tillie

Francia

Ala-pívot

2.10

15

Nico Laprovittola

Argentina

Base

1.90

23

Tornike Shengelia

Georgia

Ala-pívot

2.06

34

Chase Budinger

EE.UU

Escolta

1.92

55

Rafa Luz

Brasil/España

Base

1.88

 

Out

 

 

 

1

Andrea Bargnani

Italia

Pívot

2.13

 

Sito Alonso

 

Entrenador

 

 

VALENCIA BASKET

Nº

Nombre

Nacimiento

Posición

Alt.

0

Will Thomas

EE.UU/Georgia

Ala-pívot

2.03

9

Sam Van Rossom

Bélgica

Base

1.88

10

Romain Sato

R.Centroafricana

Alero

1.94

14

Bojan Dubljevic

Montenegro

Pívot

2.05

16

Guillem Vives

España

Base

1.92

17

Rafa Martínez

España

Escolta

1.90

18

Pierre Oriola

España

Ala-pívot

2.06

19

Fernando San Emeterio

España

Alero

1.99

30

Joan Sastre

España

Escolta

2.00

43

Luke Sikma

EE.UU

Ala-pívot

2.03

53

Josep Puerto

España

Alero

1.99

 

Out

 

 

 

8

Antoine Diot

Francia

Base/Escolta

1.93

55

Viacheslav Kravtsov

Ucrania

Pívot

2.13

 

Pedro Martínez

 

Entrenador

 

 

REFEREES: PEREZ PEREZ - CASTILLO - RIAL