The Shield-Hall-Mirotic trio keeps Olimpia afloat, in the last two minutes the USA point guard scores 7 points which explode the Forum and keep the road to the play-in alive
An electric challenge, at a very high pace and with emotions until the last possession. It couldn’t have been otherwise in the thirtieth Euroleague match between Messina and Obradovic, won by the Olimpia coach thanks to Napier’s incredible last minute. On the twenty-eighth matchday, in a very hot Forum, Milan (12-16) achieved a heavy success against Partizan (13-15) to continue to believe in a place in the play-in.
milan-partizan 85-83
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The intensity of the match is very high right from the start and the teams live on partial scores: 8-0 Partizan at the start, with Olimpia losing 4 balls in the first 2 minutes. EA7 responded with a 12-2 score thanks to 10 points from Shields and two steals from Napier. Milan shoots well from 3 and takes the lead, but Avramovic’s entry keeps the Serbs in contact: Mirotic’s two free throws give the Italian champions a 22-21 lead at the first siren. The start of the second quarter is a carbon copy of the first: 8-0 score for Obradovic’s team with triples from the big men, then Shields takes control of the Milan attack again, putting his teammates into rhythm. Voigtmann asserts himself in attack, Melli in defense, but Avramovic and LeDay respond with 9 points each: the two teams go to rest at 41-40 for Olimpia, who find excellent shooting percentages (7/9 from 2 and 8/14 from 3), but was penalized by too many turnovers (12 at halftime).
napier in the clutch
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The script of the third quarter continues to follow what was seen in the first half: teams attacking and defending with very high intensity. Napier (as a former Red Star) feels the game, and asserts himself in both halves of the pitch. The great protagonist, however, is Devon Hall: it is his 18 points that keep Olimpia afloat. On the other side, in addition to the usual Avramovic, it is Caboclo and Andjusic who find heavy baskets, which allow Partizan to enter the last 10 minutes at 67-64. Nikola Mirotic takes center stage in the fourth period with three very important triples, but Avramovic, unstoppable in penetration, continues to respond for Partizan. The teams arrive tied at 78 in the last 2 minutes, and Shabazz Napier takes care of it, with 7 consecutive points, to give Olimpia the victory. His shot with 5 seconds left explodes the Forum and allows the Messina team to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Milan: Mirotic 19, Shields 19, Hall 18
Partizan: Avramovic 19, Caboclo 13, LeDay 12
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