Euroleague: Milan beats Paris, Virtus loses at Bayern

Milan returns to victory in the Euroleague, after two defeats in a row. Messina’s men beat Paris 86-77, controlling the game for 30 minutes and suffering in the final. Excellent defensive performance by Olimpia, good at limiting turnovers (9). The match in attack is choral, as evidenced by the 4 players in double figures. Top scorer Booker who scores 13. An excellent Hifi is not enough for Tabellini (24 points). Third European success for Shields and partners. Second defeat in the double round for Virtus Bologna, who after falling in Kaunas also stopped at Bayern Munich, 86-70. Smailagic’s great evening (17 points) was not enough and now his tally in Europe is 4 successes and as many knockouts.

Milan-Paris 86-77

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Milan starts by performing well in attack, circulating the ball and playing the defensive transition carefully. A dunk by Booker is the icing on the good start of EA7 (9-3 in the 4th minute). Despite an initial Parisian jolt, thanks to the physicality of M’baye, who asserted himself in the area, Olimpia had the pace of the match in their hands. The hosts, at the end of the first quarter, set a break of 14-3 (23-13 near the 10th minute). Messina’s men closed the area well, punishing the French’s great attacking rebound intensity and running on the counterattack. Sestina and Shields are often the finishers close to the rim. Inertia smiles at EA7 even in the second quarter. The red and whites play as a team, generating advantages from the pick and roll at the beginning of the offensive action and pairing well in defensive transition. Paris struggled to sting and closed in the 20th minute with just 27 points, the result of a very meager 8/34 from the field in the first half (EA7 was 13/19 from 2 at halftime). The excellent circulation of Messina’s attack lights up Mannion, who ends the first half at 10 points (2/3 from 3). Milan’s control is total, as evidenced by the +23 (47-24 at 19′) after a 2/2 to Dunston’s free throws. At the start of the second half, Olimpia managed the advantage, but at the end of the third quarter, for the first time in the match, Messina’s men stopped the ball. The lack of rhythm is costly and Paris tries to get back into the match, finding some continuity from beyond the arc with Ouattara and Hifi (67-53 in the 30th minute). Tabellini’s number 2 also scares the Forum at the beginning of the fourth quarter, lighting up with a triple and a three-point play that is worth -8 (67-59 at 32′). The veterans carry Milan on their shoulders. Shields starts, chasing away the fear with a triple and many defensive rebounds. Adding to the Dane is the growth of Booker, triggered in the area to punish the many doubles by the guests. Guduric tries to push Tabellini’s boys back with a triple for +17 in the 35th minute (78-61). The French, however, did not give up and exploited a naively lost ball, right from the red and white 23, which cost EA7 an unsportsmanlike penalty. Herrera scores 2/2 on the line and Hifi penetrates to put Paris back within 10 (79-69 in the 37th minute). Brooks takes care of closing the matter again, scoring from 6 and 75 (82-69 at 38′). Milan, despite suffering in the final seconds, brought home their first home victory in the Euroleague this season.

Milan: Booker 13, Brooks 12, Shields, Mannion 10

Paris: Hifi 24, Herrera, Robinson 11, Outtara 7

Bayern-Virtus BOloGNA 86-70

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There’s no need to even stop and underline how important Carsen Edwards is for Bologna, the Euroleague’s current top scorer. Likewise, it is a problem for Ivanovic’s team if it takes 17 minutes to break the deadlock. As happened in Bavaria, against a Bayern Munich team initially driven by Voigtmann and three rapid triples. Virtus holds their own and when Smailagic, very inspired, is finally joined by Edwards – we are in the third period – they gain an interesting lead of 5 points, at 46-51. It seems that the inertia has changed, but the enthusiasm lasts a moment because German coach Herbert draws the winning card from the deck: guard Justinian Jessup, author of 12 points in 15 minutes. Together with him, the new signing Dinwiddie also begins to score (on his debut after being cut by the Charlotte Hornets, 6 points at the end of the game). The result is a run of 17-4 between the end of the third and the beginning of the fourth period which overturns everything at 63-55 and opens up the definitive escape of the hosts, led by the hand of Obst and Mike, up to +19 (84-65) with a minute and a half to go. While Virtus seems to run out of fuel and never finds continuity from the arc.

Bayern: Obst 21, Mike 17, Jessup 12

Virtus Bologna: Smailagic 17, Edwards 16, Alston 10