The tenth win of the EuroLeague season arrives amid another great home atmosphere! (94–82)

Valencia Basket recorded the best start in its EuroLeague history by securing its tenth win in fifteen games, defeating Anadolu Efes Istanbul by 94–82 in a game they controlled for most of the night but didn’t fully break open until the final stretch, due to the resilience of the Turkish team’s talented players. After a back-and-forth first quarter, the taronja team took command of the game with a run at the start of the second period, which the Turkish side later answered. Pedro Martínez’s men pushed through a cold spell with second-chance opportunities and regained control with a couple of three-pointers and points from Costello and Reuvers to go into halftime ahead.

Valencia came out stronger after the break, extending their lead thanks to Taylor’s scoring. And although Cordinier matched the offensive duel and Poirier made his season debut to cause damage in the paint, Valencia Basket once again found Costello’s three-pointers to head into the final quarter in front. The Turkish team held off Valencia’s first attempt to decide the game by responding with a run of their own, but Jaime Pradilla stepped up to halt the visitors’ momentum and maintain a lead that the Valencian side managed to protect all the way to the end.

Post-game quotes: Pedro Martínez

“What we can’t do is hide the results. And if we’ve won, whether it’s 3 games, 4 games, or 24 games—however many—we have to be pleased. Those are the results, and they’re objective facts, and that’s that. And we *are* happy with the wins we’ve got. Sometimes, even when we lose, we’re not unhappy. In other words, we’re not driven only by results.

What we can’t do—or what we shouldn’t do—is puff out our chests and say we’re delighted with ourselves and that we’re doing everything really well, because that leads to complacency. So, the results are what they are, and we should be happy with them, period. Great. And, as you say, this builds more confidence and everything brings positive things.

But what we can’t think is that, just because we’ve been winning up to now, we’re going to keep winning simply because this guy is so good, or because we’re doing this well, or because we’re so pleased with ourselves. We can’t be the ones saying that. And if others say it, we have to respond, ‘Leave it, I’m not interested in what you’re saying.’ The only thing that interests me is staying focused on the present and seeing how we can improve—how we can improve individually and collectively. That’s the most important thing.”