[Sport] Valencia clings to the miracle of the hand of Derrick Williams and Dubljevic

[#Steeven.™]

Valencia wins the final for the Top 8 and awaits Zenit's stumble.

Like a boxing match. Like two warriors in search of the ultimate victory. Like a real ending. In all this, Valencia Basket and TD Systems Baskonia made the last match of the regular phase of the Euroleague. The two needed the win to keep alive their slim chances of reaching the Top 8 and it was all decided in the end. Between the free kicks and the errors resulting from the nerves, Jaume Ponsarnau's team was able to escape and was more successful in the final seconds (86-81).

A game that had everything and that met the predictions. Until the last second and until Bojan Dubljevic's final basket, the victory did not know which way to fall. So strange was the script that the best players in the match shrunk their wrists. On the taronja side, Derrick Williams (16 + 4) missed the free throws that could have sentenced. On the Baskonia side, Pierria Henry (19 + 7) maximized his anarchy and ended up condemning the few chances of victory.

And it is that, at times, it seemed that neither of them wanted to win the match. In fact, TD Systems Baskonia had its key moment in the third quarter. Henry and Rokas Giedraitis turned into a nightmare for a taronja team that began to kiss the canvas. With a lead of nine, Baskonia missed the opportunity to find the double digits of difference and gave life to Valencia Basket. From 47-56 to 60-59 with a tremendous triple from Klemen Prepelic on the horn (60-59).

Dusko Ivanovic's men were comfortable with the crazy pace and the game turned into a street runner. But that double-edged sword ended up taking its toll. Also, putting Henry and Luca Vildoza together did not help bring order to the game. On the contrary, Valencia Basket needed, which improved by playing static and looking for balls inside in the face of foul problems from rival interiors.

But in the final moments, the tactic disappeared to give way to madness. A 2 + 1 from Mike Tobey left Valencia Basket with a 4-point lead with a minute to go. Achille Polonara was able to close the gap, but the triple released from him did not enter. Neither Alec Peters' 3-pointer nor Henry's free throws entered. Only the final basket of the taronja captain could decide a real battle.

With the victory, Valencia Basket eliminates Baskonia from the Euroleague and keeps alive their hope of being in the Top 8. To do so they need Zenit de Saint Petersburg to lose one of their next two games. The quarterfinals and the place of the next season, at stake.