Basketball: Naples, what a feat in the Italian Cup! Beats Milan: party after 18 years

Gevi Napoli achieved a feat that beat Ea7 Milano in the Italian Cup final and in Turin returned to lifting a trophy that had been missing for 18 years. It ends 77-72 after a thrilling game that was in the balance until the last possessions, closed by a triple from Pullen (14 points) after Milan’s sprint overtaking. Epic performance from coach Milicic’s team who puts an enormous amount of energy at the start and resists despite the shorter rotations and the physical problems of Owens and Sokolowski. In addition to Pullen, Ennis is decisive both in defense and attack, where he finishes with 21 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists. Coach Ettore Messina finds little from his wingers, like Shields who after the record semi-final finished with 10 points, of which 6 were scored in the last minute, and 4 turnovers. Twenty points and 8 rebounds for Nicolò Melli, who kept his team in the game for a long time. An epilogue that certifies the growth of Naples also in basketball.

Milan-Naples 72-77

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This time Zubcic doesn’t wait and immediately lights up with two triples. Napoli runs and shoots very well (11 points in 10′ from Ennis), which is useful for overcoming even Milan’s best defences. This explains the 24-19 in the first quarter, with Olimpia struggling in the playmaking and finding nothing from Shields, who is guarded well by Sokolowski. So Hines and Mirotic take care of limiting the damage. Napoli reaches +7 several times, managing to defend the gap even at half-time (36-43) by defending well, sometimes confusing the Ea7 with a “fake” zone, putting in great energy and trying to immediately do damage in the first seconds of the action. Messina tries to block the area with two long players. And he succeeds, so much so that Olimpia scores a 7-0 break which brings them back to -2 (26-28). Shortly after, however, she enters the bonus and is forced to give up Melli, burdened by three fouls. Milicic instead enjoys the continuity of Ennis and the outbursts of the sixth man Pullen, who when he enters always brings the right shock in a first half in which little three-pointers are shot.

what an ending!

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Gevi smells the air of the feat and also gets off to a great start in the third quarter with a 5-0 break sealed by a triple from Zubcic which is worth +12 (36-48). In the crisis Olimpia finds Melli, scores 8 points and reopens everything, while Napoli’s percentages from the arc begin to drop even in open shots. Milan, then, has the merit of eliminating second opportunities by working on the rebound. The bonus, however, allows the Campania team to regain a 9-point lead (49-58) from the line just when they start to be exhausted, while Olimpia just isn’t able to score with the wingers. The last quarter is pure battle as Mirotic and Melli write -3 (59-62) with 6 minutes to go. Shields breaks free from the field on the 12th attempt, but does so in the most important moment with two triples that are even worth the overtaking (71-70) in the last minute. Until Pullen’s decisive triple.

Milan: Melli 20, Mirotic 19, Napier 10

Naples: Ennis 21, Pullen 14, Sokolowski 13