The Roig Arena enjoyed another great European night as Bayern Munich visited for Matchday 11 of the EuroLeague. Valencia Basket arrived with a 7-3 record and in excellent form, entering as favorites against the German side, which came in with a 3-7 record. Xavi Albert's team looked to extend their winning streak and maintain their position in the upper standings.
The matchup also featured a special moment: TJ Shorts received recognition as the EuroLeague MVP for October before the opening tip. The American point guard, one of the team's key players, had another opportunity to lead the orange and blacks in front of their home crowd. Bayern, meanwhile, needed to step up and try to upset a Valencia Basket team in one of its best stretches of the season.
Valencia Basket Starting Five: TJ Shorts, Saint-Supery, Kameron Taylor, Osetkwowski, and Sako. FC Bayern Munich Starting Five: Jokubaitis, Obst, Thiemann, Lucic, and Da Silva.
Xavi Albert's unavailable players for today: Lucas Marí, Nate Reuvers, and Nikola Mirotic due to injury.
Valencia Basket won the opening tip and TJ Shorts scored the first basket of the game. Lucic, a former Valencia player, answered to tie it at 2-2, while Kameron Taylor opened the three-point account with a 5-2 lead. The home team imposed their rhythm and Corbalán extended the lead from beyond the arc to 17-8. Obst tried to keep Bayern in the game, but Xavi Albert's squad closed the first quarter with a ten-point advantage despite not capitalizing on their final possession (29-19).
The second quarter began with Da Silva adding from the free-throw line. Valencia Basket maintained control and Cárdenas, with a three-pointer, extended the lead to 34-23. Later, Armony Brooks punished from deep to make it 42-30 and force a Bayern timeout. The orange and blacks continued to dominate comfortably and Mo Gueye began contributing on offense. A strong individual play by TJ Shorts put it at 50-35, though Bayern managed to cut into the deficit in the final minutes before halftime. Shorts and Brooks, with eight points each, were the team's leading scorers (52-41).
The second half start wasn't ideal for Valencia Basket. Bayern took advantage of some local complacency to close the gap and cut it to seven points (54-47). Da Silva found the basket again to make it 56-51 and the Germans threatened to get back into the game. Andreas Obst, who had already accumulated 17 points, continued to hurt from three-point range, while Washington also contributed to the visiting comeback. However, Valencia Basket recovered their composure down the stretch and entered the final quarter with an eight-point lead (73-65).
The fourth quarter turned into an offensive showcase for the home team. Valencia Basket regained control and progressively extended a lead that appeared insurmountable. With just over a minute remaining, Saint-Supery hit a three-pointer to make it 98-80 and essentially seal the game. Shortly after, Álvaro Cárdenas converted two free throws to reach the 100-point mark. The orange and blacks never let up and Rivero, with a steal, scored the final basket of the game to close out a dominant 102-84 victory.
The win improves Valencia Basket's EuroLeague record to 8-3 and confirms the excellent form the team is experiencing. TJ Shorts and Armony Brooks, both with 14 points, led the scoring in a balanced performance that allowed Valencia to convincingly defeat Bayern, particularly after a third quarter in which the Germans threatened to make it a game.
Now Valencia Basket shifts focus back to the Liga Endesa. Xavi Albert's team will host Leyma Coruña this Sunday at 12:00 p.m. at the Roig Arena. Another home game for a team sitting in second place in the Spanish league and looking to extend their strong momentum in the ACB as well.