EuroLeague unbeaten run ends at home in overtime against the champions (97-102)

ValenciaBasket fell in overtime to the defending champions, Olympiacos Piraeus, by ascore of 97-102 in a game of two very different halves. The Taronja team playedexquisite offensive basketball in the first half, flying across the court tobuild a significant lead by the break. In the second half, the Greek defensestifled the Taronja squad, gradually chipping away at the deficit to take thelead; however, fueled by the Roig Arena crowd, Xavi Albert’s men managed toforce overtime. In the extra period, Olympiacos played the better basketballand secured the victory.

Xavi Albert’s Comments

“A tough loss, in a game where each team had the upper hand for one half. The takeaway—beyond the tactical analysis—is that in the first half we played the way we want to play; we dominated and built a 25-point lead, showing the kind of team we aspire to be—especially against the reigning European champions, Olympiacos. Then came the second half, where we couldn't afford to overthink things; leads can vanish very quickly, and the margin wasn't big enough to simply try to manage the gap. Beyond the fact that they stepped up their game, the key lesson for us is that we must never play to protect a lead just because we built it; we have to keep playing one possession at a time. There was a moment where fear caused us to stray from our desired style of play—being brave—and led us to try to manage a scoreline that shouldn't have been managed. When it works out in your favor—like it did for us at ASVEL—it’s wonderful, but when it goes the other way, you’re left looking foolish. While this loss hurts, I hope it helps us build consistency and shape the team we want to be, with the right mindset. Now, it’s time to recover and focus on the game against Maccabi.”