Valencia's Justin Doellman claims Eurocup Finals MVP trophy
Justin Doellman is the MVP of the finals
Nobody across the 4,000 kilometers between Valencia, Spain and Kazan, Russia had any doubt when the series ended on Wednesday with Valencia Basket Club as champion who exactly had to be the Eurocup Finals MVP. That honor was signed, sealed and delivered in the name of forward Justin Doellman after he led Valencia to a 73-85 victory to sweep the two-game series and win his team's unprecedented third Eurocup title.
Doellman needed less than 25 minutes on court Wednesday to turn in another of the best performances in Eurocup Finals history. His 26 points tied for the fourth-most in any final game in the 12-year history of the competition. And his performance index rating of 34 was the fourth-best ever. His 4 steals tied the record for most in a final, too. In both cases, Doellman's own performance in Game 1 ranked slightly ahead of his Game 2 show. His 28 points in Game 1 tied the all-time scoring mark in a finals game and his performance index rating of 35 in the series opener was the third-best ever, behind only a pair of former Valencia stars. Dejan Tomasevic, the MVP of the inaugural Eurocup Finals in 2003, and Nik Caner-Medley in a losing cause in the 2011, both had index ratings of 38.
Doellman seemed poised to break both records late in the third quarter Wednesday, when he left the court with 26 points and an index rating of 36. With the game and the series well in hand, he didn't return until late in the fourth quarter, when he missed his only additional shot and committed a couple of fouls. Nonetheless, in just the second Eurocup title to be decided in a two-game series - the first was that inaugural one in 2003 - Doellman shattered the best previous scoring (54 points) and index rating (69) totals.
Doellman, 29, was named to the All-Eurocup First Team this season and last, both with Valencia. The Eurocup trophy is the first international title of his seven-year professional career. He spent his first three pro seasons in France with three different teams, and has since played for three others in Spain, joining Valencia before the 2012-13 campaign.
EUROCUP FINALS MVPs (2003-present)
2003 Dejan Tomasevic, Pamesa Valencia
2004 Kelly McCarty, Hapoel Migdal
2005 Robertas Javtokas, Lietuvos Rytas
2006 Ruben Douglas, Dynamo Moscow
2007 Charles Smith, Real Madrid
2008 Rudy Fernandez, DKV Joventut
2009 Marius Petravicius, Lietuvos Rytas
2010 Matt Nielsen, Power Electronics Valencia
2011 Marko Popovic, Unics
2012 Zoran Planinic, Khimki Moscow Region
2013 Richard Hendrix, Lokomotiv Kuban
Doellman needed less than 25 minutes on court Wednesday to turn in another of the best performances in Eurocup Finals history. His 26 points tied for the fourth-most in any final game in the 12-year history of the competition. And his performance index rating of 34 was the fourth-best ever. His 4 steals tied the record for most in a final, too. In both cases, Doellman's own performance in Game 1 ranked slightly ahead of his Game 2 show. His 28 points in Game 1 tied the all-time scoring mark in a finals game and his performance index rating of 35 in the series opener was the third-best ever, behind only a pair of former Valencia stars. Dejan Tomasevic, the MVP of the inaugural Eurocup Finals in 2003, and Nik Caner-Medley in a losing cause in the 2011, both had index ratings of 38.
Doellman seemed poised to break both records late in the third quarter Wednesday, when he left the court with 26 points and an index rating of 36. With the game and the series well in hand, he didn't return until late in the fourth quarter, when he missed his only additional shot and committed a couple of fouls. Nonetheless, in just the second Eurocup title to be decided in a two-game series - the first was that inaugural one in 2003 - Doellman shattered the best previous scoring (54 points) and index rating (69) totals.
Doellman, 29, was named to the All-Eurocup First Team this season and last, both with Valencia. The Eurocup trophy is the first international title of his seven-year professional career. He spent his first three pro seasons in France with three different teams, and has since played for three others in Spain, joining Valencia before the 2012-13 campaign.
EUROCUP FINALS MVPs (2003-present)
2003 Dejan Tomasevic, Pamesa Valencia
2004 Kelly McCarty, Hapoel Migdal
2005 Robertas Javtokas, Lietuvos Rytas
2006 Ruben Douglas, Dynamo Moscow
2007 Charles Smith, Real Madrid
2008 Rudy Fernandez, DKV Joventut
2009 Marius Petravicius, Lietuvos Rytas
2010 Matt Nielsen, Power Electronics Valencia
2011 Marko Popovic, Unics
2012 Zoran Planinic, Khimki Moscow Region
2013 Richard Hendrix, Lokomotiv Kuban
E. Carchia
@Sportando
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