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oct 08 2026Valencia Basket maintained their unbeaten start in the EuroLeague after defeating Hapoel Tel Aviv 93-82 at the Roig Arena. Xavi Albert's squad dominated much of the game and, although the visitors mounted a comeback before halftime, Valencia opened up the gap again after the break to secure their fourth consecutive European victory in front of a strong home crowd.
The victory allowed Valencia to remain undefeated in the continental competition after four matchdays, confirming the team's excellent start to the season. Kameron Taylor led the home side with 17 points, while Blakeney led Hapoel with 30.
Valencia Basket Starting Five: TJ Shorts, Armoni Brooks, Kameron Taylor, Osetkowski and Sako.
Hapoel Tel Aviv Starting Five: Satoransky, Bryant, Micic, LeDay and Oturu.
Unavailable for the game: Yankuba Sima, Saint-Supéry and Mo Gueye. Motley was also unavailable for the Israeli team.
Valencia came out determined from the start and Kameron Taylor opened the scoring with a corner three-pointer. Osetkowski quickly took center stage with two consecutive three-point attempts and the home side began to open a gap that forced Hapoel to call a timeout at 18-8. Taylor struck again from beyond the arc and TJ Shorts led the scoring to close out a first quarter of clear Valencia dominance. (29-17)
The momentum continued in the second quarter, with another three-pointer from Taylor and one from Armoni Brooks that extended the lead to 23 points. However, Hapoel reacted through Micic and began to find scoring opportunities that allowed them to considerably reduce the deficit. Valencia lost clarity in the final minutes and allowed the Israelis to get dangerously close before halftime. An alley-oop from Nate Reuvers off a TJ Shorts assist capped off a first half in which Shorts and Taylor reached 11 points each. (47-40)
After the break, Hapoel continued to chip away with a Blakeney three-pointer, but Valencia responded quickly. Shorts also found success from beyond the arc and Nate Reuvers extended the lead again. The standout performer in the final stretch was Josep Puerto: the captain hit two consecutive three-pointers to push the team to 66-52 and reignited the Roig Arena. (74-57)
With a 17-point lead heading into the final quarter, Valencia managed the advantage well.
Armoni Brooks appeared with a three-pointer and, after Blakeney's response, scored again to keep Hapoel at a distance. The visitors attempted one last comeback, but Xavi Albert's squad controlled the decisive stretch and a three-pointer from Osetkowski with 1:23 remaining sealed the game. Hapoel missed their final attempt. (93-82)
Kameron Taylor with 17 points was the leading scorer for the home side, Blakeney with 30 for Hapoel.
Valencia Basket thus posted a spectacular 4-0 record in the EuroLeague, one of only two teams that remained undefeated in the competition alongside Panathinaikos. The Valencia squad will now close out the week with a maximum difficulty test: on Sunday they will visit FC Barcelona at the Palau Blaugrana in the third matchday of the Liga Endesa.
