FC Bayern Munich delivered a sharp response on Thursday night, defeating Valencia Basket 93-87 at SAP Garden to bounce back from a disappointing home loss earlier in the week.
Two days after scoring just 63 points against Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade, Bayern returned with renewed offensive pace and cleaner execution in a free-flowing EuroLeague contest.
Head coach Svetislav Pesic leaned heavily on former Valencia players Neno Dimitrijevic and Vladimir Lucic, and both delivered decisive contributions.
Dimitrijevic, who has taken on a central role since joining earlier this month, posted season highs of 12 points and 7 assists while committing just one turnover for a PIR of 16.
The guard scored back-to-back baskets late in the fourth quarter to push Bayern ahead 89-78 with just over three minutes remaining, effectively sealing the outcome.
Lucic dominated early and set the tone before halftime, leading the hosts to a 53-44 advantage with a near-flawless all-around performance.
Before the break, the forward already had 13 points on perfect free-throw shooting, along with three rebounds, three assists, and four fouls drawn.
Lucic finished with season highs of 19 points and a PIR of 26, continuing a trend of strong performances against his former club.
The Serbian wing has a long history with Valencia, having spent three seasons there and helping the Spanish side win the EuroCup in 2014.
Bayern also received a major boost from Justinian Jessup off the bench, as the sharpshooter scored 16 points in just 18 minutes for a PIR of 19.
Jessup has now averaged 13.8 points over his last six games while shooting 77.3 percent on two-pointers and 53.8 percent from beyond the arc.
After struggling from three-point range against Partizan, Bayern showed greater balance, with eight players combining to shoot 40 percent from deep despite Andreas Obst going 1-for-7.
Isiaha Mike bounced back strongly from a difficult outing on Tuesday, contributing 14 points, six rebounds, and three assists while knocking down three triples.
Bayern finished with 24 assists against 12 turnovers and recorded a season-high team PIR of 119, highlighting the collective nature of the performance.
Valencia stayed competitive behind 20 points from Kameron Taylor and 13 from Jean Montero, but defensive lapses and transition breakdowns proved costly.
The win lifts Bayern to 9-15, while Valencia drops to 15-9 and missed an opportunity to strengthen its top-eight position.
Bayern next visits Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv, while Valencia returns home to face Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv.
