Basketball, Euroleague: Milan moves to Istanbul, possible playoffs

Milan remains in the running for the playoffs. The flame of hope is still lit, now more than before. Masterpiece by Shabazz Napier, 24 points in the second half, leader of the team and absolute protagonist of the comeback: since Milan arrived he has won 7 out of 8 games in the Euroleague. It is the talisman of happiness. Fener is tamed with defense and triple and when he gets close to -4 with 82” to play thanks to the many attacking rebounds he is frozen by Baron’s trepunti, silent until that point.

The match Milan plays everything in the recovery of the 24th day on the Bosphorus without 5 players, the usual absences that have become chronic by now. The start of the Italian champions is decisive and defensive. A lot of pressure on Calathes and Wilbekin, the two special observers, meanwhile the excellent Tonut of this period is heating up. Milan moves the attack well, Luwawu-Cabarrot gains free and takes initiatives. But he has to deal with the verticality of Motley who captures 5 offensive rebounds, translating them into hard cash. Olimpia extends to 16-23 even with Thomas in rotation. Vader has to ask Guduric for overtime to stay in line. At 10′ it is 18-23. The home team pulls badly, Milan shoots up 8 (26-34) then is held back by turnovers. Return of Istanbul with Guduric who goes into double figures in the individual score. Then the game stops with the referee Latisevs who doesn’t validate an interference by Ricci by raising the decibels of the audience. The Turkish bench asks you to sign the scoresheet by putting your hands forward in case of an appeal.

Napier from three signs the +6 but Vader shortens with Booker who finds a lucky tap-in on the siren: 35-37 at the interval. Milan doesn’t take advantage of the bad percentages of the opponents to take a more consistent advantage but is alive in the game. At the start of the second half Napier makes the show: two free throws and triple, then it’s Luwawu’s turn who triples, steals and +9 (40-49). Napier continues with his magic with a circus 2+1 then a triple for 42-55 (11 points for the point guard in this period) in the 25th minute while Vader gets it all wrong by insisting too much from three. Calathes is a ghost, Wilkebin forces everything. Voigtmann grows strong and flies for a poster smash then opens the counterattack. Luwawu flies to +14 (47-61) while Hines obscures the bogeyman Motley with two signature blocks. At 30′ Milan is up 52-61 paying for an unsportsmanlike Thomas. In the last quarter Napier continues to put on a show: triples and impossible baskets. Fener stays behind, in the final he almost comes into contact with Edwards’ desperate shots but twice it is Baron who keeps Milan in the running for this handicapped Euroleague.

Fenerbahce: Motley 22, Guduric 19, Edwards 16
Milan: Napier 26, Luwawu-Cabarrot 19, Voigtmann 8