MÁLAGA — Valencia Basket defeated Unicaja 89-96 in an ACB matchup decided in the second half thanks to Jean Montero's leadership, who scored 29 points. The visiting side delivered a solid performance at Martín Carpena to avenge their first-round loss and strengthen their position in the standings.
The opening of the game was marked by Valencia Basket's accuracy, striking first with contributions from Badio and Taylor to seize the initiative (3-9). Unicaja reacted quickly with a run that brought them back into the contest, but the visitors maintained control thanks to their strength near the basket and transition speed. Still, the Málaga side managed to stay within striking distance and closed the first quarter at a tight 23-27 after a constant exchange of baskets.
In the second period, the matchup became even more balanced. Tillie, Perry, and Cobbs sustained Unicaja, who found in Olek Balcerowski a key interior reference. The Polish center led the local comeback, capped with a dunk that put the Andalusians ahead (43-39). However, Valencia Basket remained composed. Jean Montero appeared in the final stretch to return the advantage to the visitors before halftime, though a three-pointer by Duarte left it at 49-48 at the break.
After the halftime break, Valencia Basket delivered the decisive blow. Taking advantage of several minutes of offensive struggles by Unicaja, Pedro Martínez's squad accelerated the pace with an inspired Montero, who led a crucial run to open up the scoreboard (56-65). Although Duarte and Balcerowski tried to keep the hosts in the fight, another three-pointer by the Dominican point guard extended the lead to ten points (66-76) at the end of the third quarter.
In the final period, Unicaja attempted a comeback with a three-pointer by Tillie that energized Carpena (73-79), but each comeback attempt found an answer from Valencia Basket. Jean Montero continued to set the pace of the game, extending the lead to 73-84 and keeping his team steady in moments of greatest pressure. Audige cut the deficit with five consecutive points (81-87), but a streak by Reuvers restored calm to the visitors (81-91).
In the closing stretch, Duarte tried to force the outcome with two three-pointers that brought Unicaja closer (89-93), but Valencia Basket did not let the victory slip away. A 2+1 by Jean Montero sealed the game definitively, confirming the final 89-96 score in Málaga.
Valencia Basket achieves a significant victory in the ACB after defeating Unicaja at Carpena, consolidating their strong competitive moment, while the Málaga side could not capitalize on their home crowd's support and saw their momentum halted in the competition.