Second-half response secures fourth straight Liga Endesa win in Burgos (93-100)

Valencia Basket overcame an erratic first half with a much stronger defensive performance after the break and rode the late shooting of Brooks and Osetkowski to keep its positive momentum going in the Liga Endesa, claiming a 93-100 road win over Recoletas Salud San Pablo Burgos.

The taronja side matched the Castilian team's strong offensive start with excellent three-point shooting and even briefly took control of the game with an 0-8 run. However, Recoletas Salud San Pablo Burgos capitalized on a five-point play following a disruptive foul to put together a run of their own and finish the opening quarter in front.

Valencia Basket struggled to prevent the home side from scoring consistently in the paint and also lost the perimeter efficiency that had kept it in the game during the first period. That allowed the Burgos team to stretch its lead to as many as fourteen points. Valencia improved defensively in the closing stages of the first half, but Audige's three-point shooting, on his way to 18 points before the break, protected the hosts' advantage as they headed into halftime ahead 52-41.

After the interval, the taronja squad fought its way back through improved defense and a strong run that brought it back into contention. However, its shooting percentages remained low and the home side once again extended its lead. Offensive contributions from Dylan, and especially a burst of inspiration from Brooks, helped Valencia Basket cut the deficit to just one point heading into the final ten minutes.

Valencia carried that momentum into the fourth quarter with a 2-13 run to briefly regain the lead. Audige halted the visitors' first comeback attempt, but Valencia Basket found timely scoring from Taylor and another crucial three-pointer from Osetkowski to take an advantage into the closing minutes. The taronja side was then able to protect its lead down the stretch and secure its fourth consecutive Liga Endesa victory.

Xavi Albert post-game quotes:

"It was a game with two very distinct phases. In the first half, we struggled to show the level of intensity required to win in this league. In the second half, it was the complete opposite.

I want to credit the players because we often take it for granted, but it isn't easy to balance the demands of a competition like the EuroLeague with the ACB, especially when you have a stretch of four consecutive road games like the one we've just had against Barça, Andorra, Milan and now here in Burgos.

I think we showed that we were able to recover the energy we were lacking in the first half almost immediately in the opening two possessions of the second half, with that three-pointer, the defensive pressure and the steal. Those are the basic things you need to do to win games in this league.

Even though the game had those two very different halves, and while we'd always like to put together a complete 40-minute performance, I'm very pleased with the work of the players, with the way they were able to battle through adversity and how they found the intensity this game required in order to win it."