The match
We start with Hot Rod McGruder in the starting five, and after a couple of missed triples the former NBA player breaks free from the line and then supports a nice give-and-go from underneath, not very EuroLeague-like, with Kyle Hines.
For their part, the red and whites started slowly, especially in defence, slow on the substitutions (punctually scored by Harper and Jones), and not very tenacious in rebounding. Valencia starts in front, before Devon Hall lights up together with Shields, five points on his return.
Devon scores 12 in the first half while the defense registers, and Valencia goes from 28 points in 16′ to 4 in the remaining 4′, with Napier scoring the triple of +8 at the end of the first half and the one of +12 at the start of the second half .
It’s a message to the game, which must also pass through the usual “moment of sleep”, which goes from momentary to worrying in the third quarter. First the 6-0 after 3 missed possessions by Napier, then Flaccadori’s disaster which in just over 1′ cost the 13-0 which brings Valencia back to 59-56 with less than 2′ left in the quarter. Inside there is an unsportsmanlike, a foul and two turnovers, in addition to the triple from the former Reggio player Reuvers.
It’s an Olimpia that is fraying, that is afraid, that makes all the wrong choices, that irritates, that has no support from the “second unit” this time, that has no presence. Even despite all the difficulties.
And then, even if Hall and a couple of plays by Napier put the red and whites back on the front, a few harmful offensive choices, and four free throws by Davies as well as a basket by Ojeleye were enough to bring Valencia up 6 with 3′ to play.
56 points in 27′, 14 in the next 10′, and a block from the former Davies to Melli at 2′ is already worth the closing credits together with Pradilla’s triple. What remains is embarrassment.