Hard test to defend the fourth position on the court of a Tecnyconta Zaragoza on a roll

Valencia Basket returns to the road to visit the complicated track of Tecnyconta Zaragoza (Saturday 27, 18:00h, Príncipe Felipe, Movistar Deportes) after chaining three convincing wins at home against ALBA Berlin (89-63), the Iberostar Tenerife (88-73) and Unicaja (96-57). And he does so to start with the defense of the fourth position (and the consequent home-court advantage in the quarterfinals) that has consolidated with four wins in the last five games against direct rivals in the fight for the Playoffs.

 

With six regular season games to play, the taronja squad has two games and the basket-average advantage over the fifth classified, so a victory in Zaragoza would be an important step forward towards this goal. In addition, a victory in Principe Felipe combined with other results could mathematically certify the presence in the Endesa League Playoffs for the 13th consecutive season.

 

To find what would be the fourth win in a row in the Endesa League, coach Jaume Ponsarnau loses Alberto Abalde (operated on Thursday on the third finger of the right hand and will be a month away from the courts) and recovers captain Rafa Martínez after three games out. Valencia Basket occupies the fourth position of the Endesa League with a balance of 18-10.

 

Jaume Ponsarnau

The coach of Valencia Basket said in the pre-match against Tecnyconta Zaragoza that "we are facing a team that more than very good, they are playing with a lot of confidence, with a lot of determination and a lot of courage. It is a very atypical team in the league because its point of production comes in open play, especially in transition from a situation for controlled defense and take a fast-break. They have many players who are very upright, have the ability to go to the basket and are playing at a high competitive level. And in defense his philosophy is based on protecting the hoop very well, it is a team that closes very well to penetrations, in low post situations, which for us are very important, collapse very well. You have to find confidence, dynamism and mobility to attack them well"

 

The taronja coach said that "it is a very important game, like all those that remain. All of them are if we want to achieve the goal of having as many matches as possible with the home-court advantage. What we know is that we have to respect the opponent a lot, the mentality with which they are playing and with which they are competing. I feel a lot of admiration for what they are doing"

 

Rosters

TECNYCONTA ZARAGOZA

Nº

Nombre

Nacimiento

Posición

Alt.

00

Javier Justiz

Cuba

Pívot

2.10

3

Nacho Martín

España

Ala-pívot

2.02

4

Bo McCalebb

EE.UU/MKD

Base

1.81

5

Stan Okoye

Nigeria

Alero

1.98

7

Jonathan Barreiro

España

Alero

2.05

8

J. Berhanemeskel

Canadá/Eritrea

Escolta

1.88

9

Fabio Santana

España

Base

1.88

10

Renaldas Seibutis

Lituania

Escolta

1.96

11

Nemanja Radovic

Montenegro

Ala-pívot

2.08

12

Carlos Alocén

España

Base

1.94

17

Fran Vázquez

España

Pívot

2.09

21

Latavious Williams

EE.UU

Pívot

2.02

71

Marc Martí

España

Pívot

2.03

 

Porfirio Fisac

 

Entrenador

 

 

VALENCIA BASKET

Nº

Nombre

Nacimiento

Posición

Alt.

7

Louis Labeyrie

Francia

Ala-pívot

2.08

8

Antoine Diot

Francia

Base

1.93

9

Sam Van Rossom

Bélgica

Base

1.88

10

Will Thomas

EE.UU/Georgia

Ala-pívot

2.03

13

Mike Tobey

EE.UU

Pívot

2.13

14

Bojan Dubljevic

Montenegro

Pívot

2.05

16

Guillem Vives

España

Base

1.92

17

Rafa Martínez

España

Escolta

1.90

19

Fernando San Emeterio

España

Alero

1.99

21

Matt Thomas

EE.UU

Escolta

1.96

30

Joan Sastre

España

Escolta

2.00

42

Aaron Doornekamp

Canadá/Holanda

Ala-pívot

2.01

 

Injured list

 

 

 

6

Alberto Abalde

España

Alero

2.02

Jaume Ponsarnau

Entrenador

 

REFEREES: CORTES- BULTO- OLIVARES