Basketball Serie A, Playoff Game 3: Tortona-Bologna 69-77

The series between Virtus and Derthona ends 3-0 and the reigning champions from Bologna earn access to the final. However, Scariolo’s team had to express their best to reach the goal, against a freshman who remained in the game until the end, making the technical gap less conspicuous with strong-willed races and excellent plays.

Tortona-Virtus Bologna 69-77

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In a sold out PalaFerraris, due to the greater presence of the public in the home match in the history of Derthona, the start is complicated for the bianconeri, under pressure and immediately grant Virtus a foul and four turnovers, suffering a partial 0-10 in the 3 ‘ . Shengelia has a devastating impact, already close to double figures in the middle of the period, for a 3-18 at 6 ‘that makes the bianconeri glimpse the worst, with 8 turnovers and open-ended discussion between coach Ramondino and Macura the moment of substitution. The changes prove the Tortona coach right: Tortona slowly tries to grind the game and points, with Mascolo and Wright, while Virtus does not score for several minutes. In the final two Severini baskets reopen the match at -5 at 13-18 in the first quarter. In the following, it is Belinelli who freezes the enthusiasm with a couple of triples for the new +13. Now, however, the teams are less contracted, even with many turnovers on both sides, the shots increase, but the difference from the arc, so far 4/7 Bologna, 0/6 Tortona, marks the game. Tortona struggles in defense, rebounding (19-8 so far) in particular against Tessitori, is already in the bonus halfway through the quarter and the advantage does not go down in single figures. Virtus takes advantage of this with the Shengelia-Teodosic tandem for the maximum advantage of 18 at 17’30 ”. Macura tries to get into the game and awakens his team with three baskets that reduce the gap to 33-47 in the final quarter.

Tortona reaction

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Tortona’s reaction continues in the second half, reducing the gap to 11 and forcing Scariolo to time out: Virtus accelerating again, with the rhythm determining factor in not letting Tortona return, down by 15 in the middle of the quarter. It closes with a partial that does not yet give definitive results, 51-62. Cannon and Filloy put the distance back to +10, showing not to give up easily. Severini, the player who has made the most progress this season, dominates with a rebound and puts the triple of -5 in the middle of the period and the game remains open, but Hackett and Jaiteh double the advantage in 30 ”. Then the phenomenal Shengelia and Teodosic return to the field for the triple that closes the game. Virtus in the final with a series played at a very high level, Derthona who receives the tribute of his audience and of all Italian basketball for an amazing debut in A, between playoff semifinal, fourth place in regular season, Italian Cup final and Supercoppa semifinal : signals that you want to stay in the circle that matters.

Tortona Sanders 13, Macura, Daum 11
Bologna Jaiteh 17, Teodosic 15, Shengelia 14.