Valencia Basket delivered one of the most dominant road performances in EuroLeague history, overwhelming Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 108-79 on Thursday night at Buesa Arena.
The Round 29 victory lifted Valencia to 19-10 and kept it second in the standings, while Baskonia dropped to 9-20 after conceding a record-setting first half.
The visitors led 36-68 at halftime, establishing a new EuroLeague mark for the largest halftime lead by a road team at 32 points. The previous record belonged to FC Barcelona, which led by 31 at the break against Fenerbahce on February 13, 2013.
Valencia’s 68 first-half points also set a new all-time EuroLeague record for most points in a half. Virtus Bologna had scored 66 in the first half against Estudiantes on February 1, 2001.
The 68-point output was the highest ever by a road team in any half in the competition. Only Real Madrid has scored more in any half, posting 70 in the second half of a 116-94 win over Ovarense in 2000.
The game was effectively decided by halftime. The orange-clad side shot 62.8 percent from two-point range and 48.4 percent from three, finishing 15-for-31 beyond the arc while assisting on 24 baskets.
Jean Montero led the charge with 20 points, seven rebounds and six assists in 26 minutes. The guard controlled tempo and consistently collapsed the defense to create open looks.
Braxton Key added 14 points and posted a career-high performance index rating of 20. All 12 Valencia players scored at least four points, highlighting the depth and ball movement that fueled the offensive explosion.
The margin grew to 58-93 after three quarters, marking the fifth-highest scoring total through 30 minutes in EuroLeague history and the second-highest ever by a road team at that stage.
Baskonia, fresh off lifting the Spanish Cup trophy days earlier, struggled to match the visitors’ pace and perimeter efficiency. Markus Howard and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot combined for 21 points, but the hosts shot just 24.1 percent from three-point range.
Valencia now returns home to face Zalgiris Kaunas in Round 30, while Baskonia hosts Paris Basketball as it looks to regroup.
