Basketball, Serie A, the 8th day: Milan, Virtus Bologna and Tortona win

After the sprint victories of Trento in Venice and Brescia and Trieste on Saturday, the one at the Tortona photo finish on Naples opened Sunday of the eighth day of Serie A basketball. The Piedmontese (12 points in the standings) thus keep pace with Milan (14), which is making up for it in the league after the European bitterness, and with the unbeaten leaders Bologna (16).

After the tragic week of the Euroleague, Olimpia regained victory by conquering Palaverde, without however shining. It is however good news for coach Messina, who recovers Billy Baron, but still has to do without the four injured players, as well as Hines and Voigtmann due to turnover. Milan has little desire to joke and immediately starts with a solid and concrete basketball, which allows it to dig a good margin (4-15). The guests even reach +16, before closing the first quarter ahead 16-26. Everything seems easy for Olimpia, but Treviso isn’t dead: it goes back to -5, led by Banks, and holds up with great resilience until the mid-game siren (36-45, triple from Hall at the end). At the start of the second half, Olimpia pushes again and – thanks to Mitrou-Long’s triples – extends again to +15. Once again the home team gnawed point by point, comeback up to -6 and faces the last period with a not irreparable disadvantage (59-68). However, Treviso’s energies are running out and in the last quarter the difference in depth and quality between the two teams can be seen completely: it is Davies, Baron and Hall who make the baskets that dig the last furrow, the decisive one. (Alberto Mariutto)
Treviso: Banks 23, Sorokas 14,
Iroegbu 11
Milan: Mitrou-Long 19, Davies 18, Baron 10

A very balanced match full of shooting errors, but with a high pace and an unpredictable outcome: Tortona wins by one point but Napoli, who shoot for victory without success, misses out on a great opportunity. And the bianconeri can be thankful for having straightened out the three-point shot right in the final, since the triples by Severini and Macura are decisive in a game in which Tortona shoots a bad 9/33 from distance, returning to winning ways after two defeats in a row. Naples got off to a better start, Michineau scored 7 points in the first 7′, as did all of Tortona, which became orderly with the entry of double play and Severini, who punched the Naples area from the corner for overtaking in the 7th minute and partial 9-0, until an imaginative basket by Williams, who charges his team for a 6-0 counterbreak with 1′ to go, ends 20-23. In the second quarter the score stops for over 2′ on + 4 for the guests, Tortona fights with the basket (just 1/11 from the field), Howard wins three free throws but scores only one and in the middle of the period the maximum advantage is +5. After just one basket in 5′ Christon breaks his fast, to close 30-35.Second half with a rather quick Tortona to take advantage of a less precise Napoli. And the overtaking 39/37 arrives in the 4th minute with a triple signed by Harper, protagonist in defense and attack in this phase. And then throughout the second half of the quarter there are overtaking and counter-overtaking in a race full of speed, struggle and with some inaccuracies. Closes 53-53. A series of blackouts leads to partial 0-7: Macura is needed, who in a negative shooting match scores 10 points in the last 5′. Parity 71-71 with 1’40” to go. Napoli protests for a basket disallowed at the 24” limit, Severini takes advantage of it for +2, Williams in the line 35” from the end, only scores a free throw. Tortona, ahead by 1, loses the ball, time out. Howard’s shot hits the iron at 2” and the match ends on the throw-in. (Stefano Brocchetti)
Tortona: Macura 16, Harper 12
Naples: Williams 18, Howard 17

VIRTUS BOLOGNA-BRINDISI 98-68

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All easy for Virtus, who play on velvet and overwhelm Brindisi, crashed again after last week’s -28 against Pesaro. Segafredo’s eighth victory in as many league games sees six men in double figures and matures on the push of Belinelli, Weems and Mannion, i.e. the three “big names” who don’t find space in the Euroleague. Virtus clears things up already in the first quarter, with a great start by Weems and three triples by Belinelli (6/9 team in the first quarter) for 32-19 at the first break. Also touched at -18, Brindisi tries to stem the black and white tide with the 2-3 zone which draws an instant 0-10 partial thanks to Riismaa (3/5 from three in the first half against 1/15 of his teammates) , but Segafredo quickly rearranges her ideas by leaning close to Mickey for the basket (50-38 at halftime). In the third quarter Mannion goes wild with 11 points in 5′ and the Apulian area this time tickles Segafredo (without Shengelia, Teodosic, Ojeleye and with an unused Pajola) who flies up to +33 with Belinelli’s baskets in a game never been under discussion (Luke Aquinas).
virtues: Belinelli 16, Mannion and Weems 15.
Toasts: Riismaa 12, Bowman 11, Burnell 10.

PESARO-SASSARI 81-75

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Important success for Vuelle, which takes the second consecutive success against a Dinamo Sassari never tamed. Pesaro is excellent at rebounding and fights for every ball. Guests pay for the intensity of the premises, while never giving up. Visconti is decisive with his baskets from 6.75. Carpegna Prosciutto finds captain Carlos Delfino who gets on the scoresheet for the first time this season; Repesa relies on Moretti, Charalampopoulos, Abdur-Rahkman, Cheatham and Kravic while the ex of the evening Piero Bucchi sends the other ex red and white Gerald Robinson, Kruslin, Stephens, Jones and Bendzius onto the field. The match starts with the first points signed by Stephens and Kravic while the first triple is by Jones for 2-5. With Moretti on the counterattack Pesaro goes 8-7. Mazzola closes an action from Pesaro in the best possible way born from the block by Charalampopoulos and from the arc it is 13-12. The first quarter ends on 19-20 with 1/2 from Nikolic from the line. The second quarter starts with the free kick made by Abdur-Rahkman. Diop brings Banco di Sardegna up 20-24 but Pesaro is there, with a great Abdur-Rahkman, more and more unstoppable. Coach Bucchi is forced to call timeout on 36-31 at 4”10 from the long break in the middle of the series of triples on both sides. The first half ends on 42-38, with Abdur-Rahkman already at 16 and a very balanced match. The second half begins with a triple from Bendzius and a counterattack from Jones. The match is intense and very balanced: 5’49” from the end of the third quarter, Kravic commits his third foul while Abdur-Rahkman’s personal show continues; Charalampopoulos’ two free throws make it 56-49. At 2’45 ” from the third siren, Sassari is again at -2 and coach Repesa decides to call timeout: Nikolic from below brings the match back to a draw, Visconti interrupts the guest break with a great three-point shot for 59-58 which concludes the third quarter. The fourth and decisive period kicks off with a triple from Visconti for 62-58; Mazzola places the three-pointer for 65-58 which leads Bucchi to call timeout. Totè commits his fourth foul and leaves the field to Kravic who from below signs the 69-63. Robinson and Charalampopoulos give the show with two beautiful triples: with 4’35” from the end, Carpegna Prosciutto is ahead 72-66. Dejan nails the dunk of 74-66 while with Abdur-Rahkman Pesaro reaches +10 Mars releases the sidereal triple of 1-68.Robinson realizes from three but footsteps it’s over: the Vitrifrigo Arena explodes for the final 81-75 which brings Carpegna Prosciutto to 10 in the standings. (Camilla Cataldo)
Pesaro: Abdur-Rahkman 20, Cheatham 8, Kravic, Gudmunsson, Visconti, Mazzola 6.
Sassari: Jones and Bendzius 11, Kruslin 9.

ON THE FIELD TONIGHT
Scafati-Reggio Emilia (7 pm)
Verona-Varese (8pm)