Valencia Basket is still alive, and Jean Montero is the reason the EuroLeague playoff series is heading to a decisive Game 5. The 22-year-old guard delivered 29 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals on Friday night as Valencia beat Panathinaikos 89-86 at Telekom Center Athens to level the quarterfinal series at 2-2.
The result kept alive Valencia’s shot at reaching the Final Four for the first time in club history. It also extended one of the tightest series in the competition, with the first four games decided by a combined 10 points.
Montero set the tone early by scoring 10 quick points as Valencia raced to a 6-14 lead. His poise never faded, even after Panathinaikos used a third-quarter surge and a strong crowd to pull back into the game.
Cedi Osman helped flip the momentum before halftime with 10 straight points, and Kendrick Nunn briefly gave the hosts their first lead since the series moved to Athens. Panathinaikos also tightened up defensively after the break, holding Valencia to 16 points in the third quarter.
Valencia still found answers every time the pressure rose. Montero kept attacking late, and his free throws in the final seconds pushed the visitors back in front at 83-87 with 19 seconds remaining, sealing a road win in one of the toughest environments in Europe.
Montero backed that up with the kind of all-around performance that changes a series. He also helped Valencia withstand another huge effort from the home side, which got 26 points from Osman and 19 from Nunn but shot just 7-of-30 from three.
Valencia’s supporting cast also delivered in key moments. Kameron Taylor added 11 points, while Ethan Thompson gave the visitors 10, and the team’s 21-of-24 free throw shooting proved critical in the final stretch.
Now the pressure shifts to Game 5, where Valencia will try to complete a rare road breakthrough and send a fearless young group into EuroLeague history.