Basketball, playoffs: Milan crashes Sassari in match-1 of the semifinal

MILAN-SASSARI 88-71
Virtus knocks, Olimpia responds. In his Forum, in front of 8000 record spectators of the season at the Milanese home, the team of coach Messina finds the co-captain Melli after a month and a lot of rust and defends the home factor by rejecting in race-1 the assault of Sassari, historical rival of many playoffs that in the past gave the club of 28 scudetti several sorrows. It is a clear victory that becomes a signal for the final. Against an opponent who overturned Brescia in the quarterfinals by scoring an average of 96 points, Milan produces a game of strong attack with important percentages, closing the match with its proverbial defense. From the outset, the rule is to run and shoot three on both sides of the pitch. Datome opens fire, Burnell replies, then Robinson is unleashed with a 4-point game. Sassari puts his nose ahead (8-11) with his unstoppable USA playmaker. Milan tightens the defense a bit at the end of the first quarter which ends 32-26 with 5 red and white players who have at least one triple to their credit. Shields grows while Rodriguez gives assists that make Hines rejuvenate, thrown three times to dunk. In the second quarter Milan tries to stretch by going up to +12 (46-34), always with relentless Shields; Sassari with the changes loses a little bit of the game even if Treier works well. It does not work “grandfather” Logan (39) who struggles to find the shots of him. But with the return of Robinson and the usual plays as Bilan’s teacher, Dimano remains in contact: 50-42 at the break. High score for the rhythms of Milan, normal for those of Sassari. At the start of the recovery Bilan and Robinson (triple) make -1, Messina emergency time out. The answer comes from Datome and the revived Bentil who launch the decisive break of 21-6, with the triple kit of Grant and Baldasso. Here Sassari melts, betrayed by Logan who forces everything and makes a mistake and by Kruslin. In the last quarter Milan touches the maximum advantage several times reaching +23 (87-64) with a stolen Rodriguez who does not discount while the Dinamo unloads only thinks about saving energy for Monday’s race-2 always at the Forum.

Milan: Shields 16, Datome 13, Rodriguez 10, Bentil 10
Sassari: Robinson 17, Bilan 16, Bendzius 14