Valencia Basket delivered one of its most complete performances of the season on Tuesday, January 6, rolling past Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade 106-89 at Aleksandar Nikolic Hall.
The visitors seized control early and never fully relinquished it, turning the matchup into a showcase of pace, ball movement, and efficiency.
Valencia raced to a commanding 37-54 halftime lead behind sustained pressure and timely scoring bursts.
A 2-11 run to close the first quarter set the tone, followed by a decisive 2-9 surge late in the second that silenced the crowd.
Jean Montero was central to that opening statement, scoring 15 first-half points as Valencia repeatedly converted turnovers into transition baskets.
Crvena Zvezda refused to fade quietly and roared back after the break. The hosts opened the second half with a 13-0 run that cut the margin to 54-50 and reignited the atmosphere inside the arena.
Jordan Nwora fueled the charge, pouring in 17 of his 22 points in the third quarter to pull Zvezda back within striking distance.
Valencia absorbed the momentum swing and responded with composure rather than urgency.
Brancou Badio drilled a three-pointer, added two free throws, and then created baskets for Jaime Pradilla and Montero during a 9-0 response that restored a double-digit cushion.
From that point on, the outcome was no longer in doubt as Valencia dictated tempo and spacing.
Montero closed the night with a career-high 25 points on 6-of-7 shooting inside the arc and added four steals, the most by any player in the game.
Badio finished with 15 points, while Kameron Taylor and Omari Moore added 13 and 15 respectively to underline Valencia’s balanced attack.
Valencia finished with 25 assists on 38 made field goals and shot 39.4 percent from three-point range, repeatedly stretching Zvezda’s defensive coverage.
The win kept Valencia level at the top of the standings alongside Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv and reinforced its reputation as one of the league’s most effective road teams.
Already this season, the Spanish side has also won away at Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens and Olympiacos Piraeus.
Valencia improved to 14-6 and will host AS Monaco on Thursday, while Crvena Zvezda dropped to 11-9 ahead of a trip to Zalgiris Kaunas on Friday.
