Forca Lleida stunned Valencia 105-100 on the road in Liga Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto action on 28 September 2026, delivering one of the early-season surprises of the ACB campaign with a composed, high-scoring road performance inside a hostile arena.

The visitors walked in as underdogs and walked out with a five-point win, outscoring one of Spain's established powers down the stretch and answering every run the home side produced. In a league where road victories are currency, this was a statement result for Lleida and a frustrating night for Valencia, who finished with triple digits on the scoreboard and still lost.

Match Overview

The game was billed as a clash of styles: Valencia's deep, EuroLeague-tested rotation against a Lleida side built on chemistry, spacing and fearless perimeter shooting. For long stretches it looked like the script would hold — the home team controlled the tempo early, moved the ball inside-out and punished Lleida on the offensive glass. But the visitors never let the deficit stretch into double digits for long, and by the fourth quarter the momentum had flipped entirely.

• Final score: Valencia 100–105 Forca Lleida
• Competition: Liga Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto (ACB)
• Date: 28 September 2026
• Result: Away win for Forca Lleida

Both teams cleared 100 points, a rarity in the ACB and a clear sign that this was a game played at pace. Lleida's shot-making from the arc and Valencia's interior efficiency produced a track meet rather than a grind, and the team with the calmer half-court execution in the final six minutes got the reward.

How the Game Unfolded

Valencia opened with the sort of intensity expected from a title-contending roster. A quick 10-2 burst, built on transition buckets and a pair of second-chance points, forced Lleida into an early adjustment. The visitors responded by switching to a smaller lineup, spreading the floor with four shooters and attacking the paint off the dribble. That change dragged Valencia's big men away from the rim and opened driving lanes that had been closed minutes earlier.

By halftime the two teams were separated by a possession or two, and the pattern of the night was established: Valencia scoring efficiently inside, Lleida answering with threes and free throws. Every time the home crowd rose for a run, Lleida had a counter — a corner triple, a tough mid-range pull-up, or an offensive rebound that turned into points.

Key Moments

The decisive stretch came in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter. Valencia had retaken the lead with a 7-0 run and appeared to have seized control, but Lleida answered with back-to-back triples from the wing, then converted an and-one in transition to swing the game for good. A pair of clutch free throws in the final thirty seconds iced it, leaving Valencia to foul and hope — a hope that never materialised.

Turnovers told part of the story. Valencia's late-game possessions grew rushed, with contested jumpers replacing the patient ball movement that had worked earlier. Lleida, by contrast, executed its half-court sets with discipline, drawing help defenders and kicking out to open shooters.

Tactical Story

Lleida's game plan revolved around pace and space. By pushing the ball after makes and misses alike, the visitors prevented Valencia from setting its half-court defence and forced mismatches on the perimeter. Defensively, they mixed man-to-man with a compact zone that dared Valencia to shoot from outside — a gamble that paid off as the hosts settled for long attempts late.

Valencia's counter was to attack the offensive glass and generate second-chance points, which kept them in front through three quarters. But the trade-off was transition defence: crashing the boards left them exposed at the other end, and Lleida capitalised with early offence repeatedly. It was a tactical battle Valencia won in the paint and lost everywhere else.

Standout Performers

For Lleida, the backcourt set the tone. Oriol Camps orchestrated the offence with poise, controlling tempo and finding shooters out of pick-and-roll coverage, while Devon Whitfield provided the scoring punch with a string of timely buckets in the second half. Ivan Krstić anchored the interior, contesting shots and cleaning up the defensive glass when it mattered most.

Valencia had strong individual performances of their own. Kameron Hayes led the scoring effort with a mix of drives and spot-up shooting, and Bojan Radović was a problem inside, finishing around the rim and drawing fouls. Jaume Vidal kept the offence organised and hit several momentum-stopping shots. On this night, howeve