Basketball, championship playoff: Venezia-Tortona 60-72, Piedmontese in the semifinals

The third scudetto finalist comes out of Taliercio and it is, surprisingly, Tortona. Tomorrow evening match-4 Sassari-Brescia: Dinamo leads 2-1 and can close the series.

Venice-Tortona 60-72

–

Infinite Tortona. The Piedmontese freshman flies to the semifinals. It hadn’t happened for 24 years (Reggio Emilia in 1998) that a newly promoted one ended up in the top four and now here’s the impossible challenge for Virtus Bologna. Venice at home, Tortona goes back to the Taliercio with Sanders and Cannon on the shields. For Reyer, who fails the semifinal, a cycle has ended. De Raffaele starts with Stone in the starting quintet, in place of Bramos, with Theodore, Tonut, Brooks and Watt, Tortona re-presents Wright, Sanders, Macura, Daum and Cain. Austin Daye still out. In the parterre also the blue technical commissioner Romeo Sacchetti. Script that does not change, low percentages for Reyer, solid Tortona with Macura who slips 7 points and forces Umana to pursue (4-14). Stone and Bramos shake Venice from the arc (12-16), but Daum closes the first quarter from the line (12-18). Venice tries, defends, De Nicolao brings verve (17-20), but “dirty” balls they often end up in the hands of the bianconeri who harpoon 9 rebounds in attack in the first two quarters. Brooks brings Umana closer (19-22), Severini and Macura push it away (19-26), Theodore’s inventions take care of the comeback (26-26). Macura is the most inspired in Bertram (12 points halfway through the race), Reyer still imprecise from the line (5/9), Cain mocking Watt twice (29-34), Tonut closes the fraction (31-34). Tortona starts again (31-39), Umana returns to make a mistake in attack, Theodore tries to reply (36-41), but the Piedmontese are granite, with confidence. Stone’s triple brings Reyer closer (43-46), Sanders is the extra man of Ramondino, precious points also from Severini (46-54). The Umana tries, but the petrol is out, Filloy knots the noose (48-57), Cannon tightens it even more (54-66). Energies at a glance, De Nicolao, Stone and Brooks try to keep Reyer afloat, Tonut slips the -9 (57-66), the precious Severini pushes Venice to the abyss, Wright slips the freedoms of safety (60-72).

Venice: Theodore 12, Brooks 10, Stone 9, Bramos 9

Tortona: Macura 14, Sanders 13, Wright 10