Barcelona Strikes First at Roig Arena, Silences Valencia Basket in Overtime (112-113) / (0-1)

The season reaches its decisive moment. Valencia Basket and FC Barcelona opened the Liga Endesa Finals on Thursday at the Roig Arena, pitting two of Spain's hottest basketball teams against each other. The orange squad, with home-court advantage after a brilliant regular season, seeks to win the second league title in club history and confirm a campaign already among the best in the organization's history.

statistics

Valencia Basket's unavailable players: Josep Puerto, Nate Reuvers, and Xabi López-Arostregui due to injury, and Isaac Nogués by coaching decision. For Barcelona: Satoransky and Miles Norris.

• Valencia Basket Starting Lineup: Jean Montero, Brancou Badio, Kameron Taylor, Braxton Key, and Neal Sako.

• FC Barcelona Starting Lineup: Juan Marcos, Kevin Punter, Will Clyburn, Tornike Shengelia, and Youssoupha Fall.

The first Finals game started with intensity from the opening tip. Tornike Shengelia opened the scoring with a putback (0-2), but Valencia's response was immediate. Brancou Badio scored from three-point range to register the first orange points of the series (3-2), while Jean Montero extended the lead from the free-throw line (5-2).

Valencia Basket came out determined to impose its pace. Matt Costello added two consecutive baskets in the paint to establish the first significant lead (10-4), and a spectacular play by Braxton Key, capped with a defensive steal and fast-break basket, forced Xavi Pascual to call a timeout with 5:49 remaining in the first quarter (12-4).

Far from slowing down, Pedro Martínez's team continued punishing the visiting blaugranas. A corner three-pointer by Sergio De Larrea extended the lead, while Will Clyburn tried to keep the visitors in the game. Badio appeared again with a great individual play to establish the largest lead of the moment (+10) with just over a minute left in the quarter (23-13).

The Valencians closed out a magnificent first quarter with a twelve-point lead (25-13), reflecting their dominance on both sides of the court. Omari Moore was responsible for the quarter's final basket, while Matt Costello led the scoring with six points.
The second quarter began following the same script. Badio opened the period with another basket, and Valencia Basket maintained control of the game. Jean Montero extended the lead to fourteen points (38-24), confirming the excellent form of the home team against a Barcelona side unable to stop the orange offensive rhythm.

However, the blaugrana squad began to react. Kevin Punter took charge and changed the game's dynamics. A three-pointer by the shooting guard brought the visitors within 40-34, and another outside shot reduced the deficit to just three points (47-44), forcing Pedro Martínez to call a timeout to reorganize his team.

Barcelona closed the first half much better and managed to significantly reduce the gap before halftime. Jaime Pradilla had the last shot for Valencia Basket, but it didn't find the rim. At 52-47, the teams headed to the locker room, leaving everything open for a second half that promised strong emotions. Jean Montero, with 11 points, was the game's leading scorer.

After halftime, the game took an important turn. Nicolás Laprovittola opened the second half with a three-pointer that brought Barcelona within just two points (52-50). Neal Sako responded for Valencia Basket in the paint, but the visitors had already changed the game's dynamics.
Will Clyburn tied the game at 54 following a Valencia turnover, and shortly after, the American wing put Barcelona ahead for the first time with a three-pointer (54-57). The game then entered a phase of maximum equality, typical of a Liga Endesa Finals.

Jean Montero responded from beyond the arc to tie the score (57-57), and Jaime Pradilla put Valencia Basket back ahead following a good defensive play. However, Kevin Punter kept the visitors alive.

The minutes ticked away with constant back-and-forth exchanges. Shengelia tied it at 68 with a great individual play and subsequently put Barcelona ahead (68-70). Braxton Key responded for the Valencians with just over a minute remaining in the third quarter.

When it seemed everything would be decided in the final ten minutes, Juan Marcos appeared to hit a three-pointer practically at the buzzer. The play allowed FC Barcelona to close the third quarter with a lead (72-75), capping a comeback that seemed unlikely after the first half.

The fourth quarter started with Jaime Pradilla as the protagonist. The power forward converted two free throws to bring Valencia Basket closer (74-75) and later scored again to give the home team the lead (76-75). The Roig Arena began to push, aware of the importance of each possession.

Equality was absolute for much of the period. Barcelona managed to open a small gap to 84-88, but Álvaro Cárdenas appeared from beyond the arc to cut the deficit to just one point with five minutes remaining (87-88).

Shortly after came one of the night's most celebrated plays. Jaime Pradilla capped a spectacular sequence with a dunk that gave Valencia Basket the lead back (89-88), forcing Xavi Pascual to call a timeout with 4:39 remaining.

The timeout didn't stop the home momentum. Kameron Taylor scored for 91-88, and Jean Montero extended the lead to five points (93-88), bringing the Valencians close to victory.
But FC Barcelona resisted again. Clyburn converted a three-pointer for 95-93, and Montero responded immediately with a two-pointer (97-93). With one minute to play, Jan Vesely made two free throws to tighten the score further (97-95).

The tension was maximum. Taylor missed an important three-pointer, Laprovittola also missed on the subsequent transition, and Taylor himself grabbed the rebound before being fouled. The American didn't miss from the line and made it 99-95 with 27.3 seconds remaining.

When victory seemed near, Clyburn appeared again with a three-pointer that cut the deficit to just one point (99-98). On the next possession, Sergio De Larrea took responsibility from the free-throw line and made both shots to make it 101-98.
There were 13.4 seconds left, and Barcelona had one last chance. Then came the play that changed the game. Will Clyburn received, launched from beyond the arc, and converted a spectacular three-pointer to tie the game at 101 with just 3.4 seconds remaining.

Valencia Basket still had one last possession to avoid overtime, but Kameron Taylor was blocked by Clyburn himself. The game went to overtime (101-101) after a blaugrana comeback built slowly throughout the second half.

Overtime started with another visiting blow. Laprovittola hit a three-pointer to put Barcelona ahead (101-104), forcing the Valencians to row against the current again. Still, Valencia Basket didn't give up. Braxton Key managed to tie the game at 110 with a minute and a half remaining, giving hope back to a completely committed Roig Arena.

However, Joel Parra appeared at the decisive moment to convert a 2+1 play with 40 seconds remaining (110-113), a play that would prove decisive. Badio responded immediately with a two-pointer (112-113), keeping Valencia's options alive.

Barcelona lost the final possession, and Valencia Basket had the opportunity to win the game at the buzzer. The ball ended up in Kameron Taylor's hands, but his final shot came up short and confirmed a particularly painful loss for the orange squad's interests.

The blaugrana squad strikes first in the Finals and takes the first point of the series after a comeback of enormous merit. Valencia Basket, which led by fourteen points and had victory within reach at several stages of the game, must react quickly to avoid traveling to Palau Blaugrana with a concerning 0-2 deficit.

Valencia Basket touched the first Finals victory of the Liga Endesa for many minutes, but ultimately fell in a dramatic overtime against an FC Barcelona that never stopped believing. Pedro Martínez's team led by 14 points in the first half and had several opportunities to close out the game in the final stretch, but a spectacular Will Clyburn forced overtime with an impossible three-pointer and ended up leading the blaugrana comeback.

Will Clyburn, with 22 points, was one of the night's great protagonists in a game that will be remembered for his three-pointer to force overtime and for FC Barcelona's ability to believe until the final second.

The second game of the series will be played this Saturday at 8:00 p.m., again at the Roig Arena, in a matchup that already takes on a decisive character for the course of these Liga Endesa Finals.