Valencia — Hapoel Tel Aviv: 93:82, Euroleague

Valencia saw off Hapoel Tel Aviv 93:82 in the EuroLeague on Thursday evening. The hosts held firm through another hard-fought contest at home.

And here's the thing — the game stayed tight for long stretches before Valencia pulled clear. To be fair, neither side gave an inch early on. By then both teams were trading baskets without building any real distance.

Valencia's shooting proved decisive. They converted 33 field goals against 30 for their visitors, with both sides landing 12 three-pointers from distance. The hosts also took advantage at the free-throw line, making 15 of 22 attempts compared to Hapoel's 10 from 17.

On the boards Valencia were outmuscled, grabbing 35 rebounds to 39. But their defensive stops mattered more — they forced 11 turnovers while committing just nine themselves.

The win keeps Valencia in second place with 25 victories from 38 games. Hapoel remain sixth after 23 wins and 15 defeats.

Both sides came into this fixture on solid runs. Valencia had won four of their last five, including victories over Saragossa and Lyon-Villeurbanne. Hapoel were similarly steady, beating Real Madrid and Crvena Zvezda in recent outings.

The result leaves Valencia holding their position in the standings. Six points separate them from Hapoel in the table, and the gap looks set to hold for now.