Valencia showcased a remarkable defensive performance on the road, securing a comfortable 87-72 victory against Zalgiris in Round 5 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.
Leading the charge was Chris Jones, the 30-year-old point guard, who contributed 16 points, four assists, two rebounds, and two steals on Wednesday.
His impressive stats included a 6/8 field goal record, with a perfect 2/2 from beyond the arc.
“Coach gave us a great game plan. We went out and executed,” Jones explained. “Defense was the biggest part. Getting stops and getting into transition and running. Kind of draining the crowd a little bit.”
Brandon Davies made a solid return to his first EuroLeague team, scoring 11 points and reuniting with former teammates. Nate Reuvers added another 11 points, while Boubacar Toure contributed nine points, seven rebounds, and one steal.
Stefan Jovic sealed a dominant first half with a midcourt buzzer-beater, extending the lead to 22 points.
The team maintained control, reaching a peak 29-point lead in the third period and securing the victory without facing a serious threat thereafter.
“They were playing at home in a full gym. For sure they would be coming back,” head coach Alex Mumbru shared his thoughts on maintaining a secure distance from the Lithuanian champions.
“I think we played tough defense in these moments. We played seriously. We found our options in offense.”
A convincing win on the road for Valencia keeping Zalgiris in a safe distance #EuroLeaguehttps://t.co/sbcnJ8qqt9
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) October 27, 2023
