iLERNA Lleida upsets Valencia Basket in Liga Endesa opener

iLERNA Lleida secured a historic 105-100 victory against defending champions Valencia Basket in the opening round of the Liga Endesa. The match, held at the Roig Arena, was characterized by high scoring and intense momentum shifts.

Lleida established an early 10-0 lead driven by Darius McGhee, forcing an immediate timeout from Valencia coach Xavi Albert. Although Valencia responded through Nikola Mirotic and Armoni Brooks to take a lead during the second quarter, Lleida maintained pressure through the offensive strength of Kur Kuath and the scoring of James Batemon, who finished with 23 points. McGhee added 21 points to the effort.

The game concluded with Lleida managing the final possessions to maintain their advantage. This result contributes to a record-breaking opening weekend for the ACB, which saw the highest scoring average per game in the league's history, totaling 94.8 points per match.