Valencia — Força Lleida: 100:105, ACB

Força Lleida came away from Valencia with a 105-100 win on Saturday evening in the ACB. We had backed the hosts at 67 per cent confidence, but the match went another way entirely. Valencia never quite found their rhythm against a side that had been struggling all season.

To be fair, the statistics tell a different story from what the final score suggests. Valencia took 86 field goal attempts compared to Força Lleida's 68, and they hit 36 three-pointers against 33. The hosts also recorded 41 rebounds to 47, yet still found themselves chasing the game. Things came to a head when Força Lleida's 27 successful free throws made the difference.

By then the visitors had already stretched the back line with their defensive presence. They pulled down 38 defensive rebounds and registered 9 steals against Valencia's 5. The hosts committed 11 turnovers while Força Lleida managed 14, but the extra possessions didn't matter when the shots weren't falling.

The result leaves Valencia in second place with 25 wins from 34 games. Força Lleida remain 14th with 12 victories and 22 defeats. The gap between them is now wider than it was before kickoff, and the away end never stopped celebrating until the final whistle.