Basketball, playoffs: Milan and Sassari make three of a kind and fly to the semifinals

PESARO-MILAN 80-94

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Olimpia clears the field of Pesaro, signs the 3-1 and takes the ticket for the semifinal. The home team puts its character and pride in front of a record crowd (almost 7500 including Valentino Rossi, Pecco Bagnaia and Gianmarco Tamberi) and exits with honour. Milan’s defense and 3-point shooting make the difference, Pesaro drops compared to two days before but never gives up. Shields is the MVP. For the guests, Pangos is back in Hall’s place, compared to the previous races.

After 1′ it’s 0-5 then 3-11 in the 3′, starting strong from the arc. Pesaro tries to enter the match (8-13 in the 4th minute), but Olimpia shows no mercy and escapes again: 8-19 in the 5th minute. Napier signs 11 points in 6′, Milan is in full control (10-24 in the 7′) and shoots with excellent percentages. Shields is on fire (11 points in 8′), but Charalampopoulos responds. The guests return those of the first two matches, in the 9th minute it’s 34-16 with 4 points from Hines as soon as he came on. Totè once again brings great energy and scores 4 consecutive points, Daye takes advantage of him and in 1′ of the second half it’s 6-0 (23-34). Pesaro fights, Abdur-Rahkman resumes his speech from two days ago, but is limited by fouls. Milan finds 3 points in almost 5′, Pesaro is fierce and raises the level (37-46 in the 18′ with the class of a very concentrated Delfino). Shields is very clean, the Italian champions remain steadily ahead: 40-55 in the 20th minute with dominance on the rebound while coach Repesa’s defense comes and goes. Olimpia flies with long shots (-6040 in the 21st minute), they play cat and mouse. Ricci brings his team up 48-70 in the 27th minute, Milan is too hungry and Pesaro does what it can. It never sinks and at the end of the third quarter it gives signs of awakening: 54-71. Melli is everywhere, Olimpia spreads by playing aggressively and quickly: 54-78 in the 33rd minute. The heart of Pesaro emerges again, which places an 8-0 break for the 62-78 in the 34th minute. The adapted area of ​​puts sand in the gears of Milan, with the cheer that never stops supporting the red and whites at home. Olimpia sends five men in double figures and prepares for the semifinal, Pesaro ends its beautiful season with applause (Camilla Cataldo)

Pesaro: Dolphin 14, Daye 13,
cheatham 11.
Milan: Shields 24, Melli 14, Napier 13.

SASSARI-VENICE 87-83
Sassari makes three of a kind and flies to the semifinals where, one year later, he finds himself in Milan again. Venice, on the other hand, once again disappears in the quarterfinals, failing to exploit the advantage of the home factor. Granger’s three-point shot on the final siren of the potential 2-2 doesn’t go and Dinamo celebrates. The match has an obligatory script: Reyer with her back to the wall must win to bring the series back to her Taliercio for the decisive game-5 but Sassari smells the blood and wants to close at the first match ball. Guests start strong looking for the heart of the area, Dinamo relies on the game in speed and shooting from three. Bum Bum Kruslin begins to warm up his hand from long range but Venice holds and at the first siren a triple from Granger makes it 24-25. In the second quarter the landlords break away with Diop who attacks the basket with his physicality and with Treier who scores two hat-tricks: 34-25 for the landlords. Venice does not know how to react. Again with Kruslin, Dinamo rises to +14, and at the start of the second half (45-33 at the interval) another three-point spell from the Croatian shooter extends to 48-33. Reyer understands the emergency, returns at -7 but Diop’s big hands don’t make discounts in the fight under the basket: the long Senegalese with Italian, indeed Sardinian, training is an unsolvable puzzle for the Venetian defense. Last quarter with his heart in his throat: the two teams exchange a flurry of triples, Granger keeps Venice in contact until -4 (85-81) with 70″ to play. Sassari has the little arm, Reyer even has the shot for victory but Granger, after so many feats, doesn’t even get to the rim. Sassari: Kruslin 22, Diop 19, Dowe 15 Venice: Granger 30, Spissu 14,
parks 10