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may 17 2026VALENCIA. Valencia Basket secured a hard-fought victory over Surne Bilbao Basket 88-83 in a game marked by Justin Jaworski's spectacular offensive display. The American shooting guard scored 31 points and made 8 three-pointers, leading a visiting comeback from 21 points down, though the orange squad ultimately survived thanks to Kameron Taylor's leadership in the decisive stretch.
Pedro Martínez's team also snapped a three-game losing streak in Liga Endesa and remained firmly in contention to finish the regular season in second place.
The game started with Surne Bilbao Basket determined to capitalize on the physical and emotional fatigue of Valencia Basket following their historic qualification for the EuroLeague Final Four. The visitors constantly looked to attack inside with Hlinason, trying to punish any lack of energy from the home team.
However, the orange squad responded quickly on the defensive end. Valencia Basket's hand pressure made Bilbao's offensive flow extremely difficult and allowed the home team to start running and open up leads on the scoreboard.
Pedro Martínez quickly shuffled his bench and brought in Álvaro Cárdenas, making his Liga Endesa debut after returning from his loan spell at Peristeri. The point guard provided strong defensive activity and helped energize the local offense alongside an inspired Papi Badio.
De Larrea's energy prevented any relaxation from the Valencia squad and Valencia Basket put together a spectacular 24-2 run between the end of the first quarter and the start of the second that pushed the lead beyond twenty points.
Surne Bilbao Basket reacted timidly before halftime thanks to several three-pointers from Pantzar and the first offensive flashes from Justin Jaworski, though Valencia Basket still controlled the game clearly at the break (47-29).
Everything changed after halftime. The Bilbao squad significantly elevated its offensive level and found in Jaworski an inexhaustible source of points.
The American shooting guard began constantly punishing from beyond the arc and led the spectacular visiting comeback alongside Normantas. Three-pointers started falling one after another and the enormous home advantage disappeared rapidly.
Pedro Martínez had to call a timeout, but even that couldn't stop a completely unleashed Jaworski. The American ultimately capped off the comeback and put Surne Bilbao Basket ahead 52-55 in the 26th minute.
Valencia Basket, however, reacted as they had done throughout their EuroLeague series against Panathinaikos. Omari Moore and Kameron Taylor appeared with two crucial three-pointers that restored emotional control to the home team and allowed the orange squad to reach the fourth quarter ahead.
That's where Kameron Taylor's figure definitively emerged. The wing assumed responsibilities on both sides of the floor and began making a difference both defensively and offensively to open up small leads again.
But Surne Bilbao Basket kept believing thanks to an extraordinary Justin Jaworski. The shooting guard tied the club's historical record for three-pointers in Liga Endesa with his eighth made three and put the visitors back ahead in a completely open finish.
With the score tied at 76 in the final minutes, the game turned into an exchange of blows in which Valencia Basket ultimately imposed its greater collective solidity. Taylor led the decisive plays and allowed Pedro Martínez's team to close out a hard-earned victory.
Kameron Taylor finished the game with 16 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists, being Valencia Basket's most decisive player. For Surne Bilbao Basket, Justin Jaworski delivered a memorable performance with 31 points and 8 three-pointers.
With this win, Valencia Basket returns to winning ways in Liga Endesa and keeps the fight for second place alive. Meanwhile, Surne Bilbao Basket came close to a hugely valuable victory in their playoff push.
