Against Galbiati’s team it ends 109-89: five men in double figures and the race for tenth place still alive
Called to win so as not to see the possibility of entering the Euroleague play-in disappear, Milan responded in a big way and beat the Baskonia of the Italian coach Paolo Galbiati 109-89. Night number 26 of the Euroleague is very sweet, despite the absences of Bolmaro and Nebo, thanks to the outburst of the third quarter, when Olimpia adjusts the defense and finally reaps the fruits of a perfect evening in attack (109 points scored, the season record). After a balanced first half, the only 33 points conceded in the last two quarters are the detonator of confidence that transforms Ea7 into an avalanche ready to overwhelm the Basques. And so not only is a period of four defeats in the last five put to rest, but the race for tenth place, the last valid for the post-season, remains alive. Five players in double figures, with Booker and LeDay standing out above all with 21 and 19 points.
Milan-Baskonia 109-89
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A couple of unsuccessful attacks mean that Baskonia starts with a one-possession advantage, then it’s Milan who grows at a distance and if they don’t escape it’s only due to some errors in defense, still finding the +6 on a couple of occasions (up to 30-24) with a super first quarter from Booker (9 points and a block) and triples from Shields and Brooks. The baskets of the Basque point guard, Howard, an infallible shot, contributed to keeping the match balanced. It is the incipit of a novel in which the attacks dominate the defenses, a very dangerous terrain for Milan who manage to close after 20 minutes one point ahead (57-56) thanks to two books by Guduric. In the middle, high percentages for both teams (Milan shot 63% from the arc at halftime) and 15 changes in the lead of the score. LeDay and Ellis respond to Howard and Kurucs while confirming the evening of grace for the attacks there is a daring basket by Omoruyi, capable of scoring after stumbling and falling.
It changes everything Faced with these numbers it would only be necessary to compact behind and, evidently, in the interval Peppe Poeta struck the right chord because his team began to defend. The Olimpia that we see again on the parquet is possessed, doesn’t leave easy shots to the opponents and rides a LeDay all-rounder: defense, blocks, baskets, in addition to the fact that he harangues the public. The result is a break of 13-5 which is worth 70-61 at the halfway point of the third period and changes the match forever. From that moment on, Milan was uncontainable. He doesn’t concede a basket and scores three more triples in a row with Booker, Brooks and Flaccadori, valid for +16 (79-63) in the 27th minute. A team risks mirroring itself. Olimpia falls for it but the gap is short. A couple of good defenses are enough to see a new maximum advantage of +21 (95-76) as soon as Mannion and Ricci are added to Shields. We are 6’40” from the end: to bring it home it is enough to avoid lapses in concentration that could rekindle the opponents, now stunned by the home team’s perfect second half. And there are no drops, in fact the maximum gap is adjusted to +23 (101-78).
Milan: Booker 21, LeDay 19, Shields 17
Baskonia: Howard 21, Luwawu-Cabarrot 19, Simmons 14
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