Chris Jones made a decisive impact on his return to Valencia, leading Hapoel Tel Aviv to a 100-93 victory over his former team on Wednesday night.
After spending three seasons in Valencia, the American guard returned in a new uniform and delivered when it mattered most. With the home side closing in after a 13-0 run, Jones responded by scoring Hapoel’s final seven points to secure the win and improve their record to 3-1.
Valencia (2-2) trailed throughout the night but rallied late behind consecutive three-pointers from Omari Moore, Kameron Taylor, Sergio De Larrea, and another from Moore to cut a 14-point deficit to one. Matt Costello then split free throws that could have tied the game.
Jones stopped the surge with a clutch corner triple off a Vasilije Micic assist, then intercepted a Costello pass on the following play. He added a layup and two free throws in the final minutes to keep Hapoel ahead. The 31-year-old finished with 14 points, 8 assists, and 3 steals — all season highs.
Micic led the visitors with 24 points and 6 assists, while Antonio Blakeney hit 5-of-8 from deep for 17 points. Elijah Bryant contributed 16 points and 6 rebounds. Hapoel shot an efficient 61% inside the arc and 46% from three-point range.
The defending EuroCup champions have eight holdovers from last season’s title run, but injuries to Yam Madar and Bruno Caboclo have opened the door for newcomers like Micic, Bryant, and Jones to lead the offense.
Hapoel now averages 95.0 points per game and will next travel to face Paris Basketball on Friday, while Valencia looks to regroup before visiting Monaco.
