Valencia Basket thrashes Barça, secures home-court advantage for playoffs

The 'taronja' team finishes the Regular League in second place and will face Surne Bilbao Basket in the quarterfinals, achieving their biggest win in Barcelona.

Generic image of a basketball with Valencia Basket team colors on a wooden court.
IA

Generic image of a basketball with Valencia Basket team colors on a wooden court.

Valencia Basket has finished the Regular League in second place after thrashing Barça at the Palau Blaugrana 77-102, thus securing home-court advantage for the playoff quarterfinals.

The 'taronja' team, coached by Pedro Martínez, showed clear superiority from the first quarter, achieving their most significant victory in Barcelona to date. With only 10 players available, Valencia Basket based their win on a spectacular display of 15 three-pointers, with Cárdenas contributing 9 points.
The match, played at the Palau Blaugrana, saw Valencia Basket quickly take control, with Jean Montero leading the offense with seven consecutive points that forced local coach Xavi Pascual to call a timeout. The first half ended with a clear 14-28 for the visitors, who extended their lead to +19 by halftime (27-46).
In the second half, Valencia Basket maintained their intensity and control of the game, increasing the lead to over 20 points. Despite Barça's attempts to react, with points from players like Shengelia, the 'taronja' team consistently attacked the home team's basket with success from the three-point line. The third quarter ended with a decisive 53-75.
In the final stretch, Valencia Basket surpassed the 100-point mark, with contributions from players like Costello and Pradilla, who had a great game with 10 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists. The victory secures Valencia Basket second place and a matchup against Jaume Ponsarnau's Surne Bilbao Basket in the playoff quarterfinals.