LeDay and Mirotic lead EA7. Virtus with Jakovljevic on the bench loses to Red Star: 12 defeats in 14 matches
Fifth consecutive victory (seventh in eight) challenges for Milan who also beat Villeurbanne in the Euroleague which instead is increasingly a curse for Virtus, defeated for the twelfth time out of 14 this competition, this season.
EA7 Olimpia Milano-Asvel Villeurbanne 92-84
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LeDay and Mirotic were decisive for Milan (34 points as a pair): the former lights up the team Messina after an uninspiring start, while the second nailed the French in the decisive moment of the match. The Maledon-Lauvergne duo brings some bogeys to the hosts, but their contribution is not enough to stop EA7’s excellent moment. After a tight start for Olimpia in which Asvel’s suffocating defense conceded just 2 points in the first 4′, Messina’s men broke the deadlock with a pair of triples from Mannion and Brooks: the nerves melted away and EA7 got into gear LeDay’s flare-ups. On the other side of the pitch, the number one threat fueling the French advantage is Lauvergne, who is as physical as he is skilled from the perimeter. But the real shock for the hosts came midway through the second quarter, when a splendid assist behind the back from Causeur favored the pinning of Mirotic, who in the meantime had increased his number of shots. Milan fixed their defensive deficiencies and scored points from the line (12/12 clean free throws in the first half), thus finding the overtaking position and ending the first part of the match ahead 41-36. In the second half, Maledon’s accelerations caught Armani off guard, leaving too many open spaces in their own area: a French partial of 8-0 brought the scoreboard back into balance. It is the decisive moment of the match for the home team, and Brooks responds presently. Then the usual Mirotic takes care of re-establishing the distance: in the final 5′ it’s just a matter of managing the advantage. The last minutes of the match bring some bogeymen, but Mannion takes care of definitively closing the issue with an acrobatic 2+1: Milan wins at the Forum 92-84.
Milan: Mirotic and Leday 17, Brooks 14
Asvel: Maledon 24, Lauvergne 19, Roberson 13
Virtus Bologna-Stella Rossa Belgrade 87-94
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At the Segafredo Arena Red Star passes thanks to a super Canaan, who pots 26, with 4/9 from 3. For the team currently coached by Jakovljevic (Ivanovic was not registered in time for this match) a fantastic Shengelia is not enough, who scores 25. The Bianconeri do badly, as in addition to the very poor figures from beyond the arc (3/17), they pay for the 37 points conceded in the fourth quarter. The first Virtus post Banchi experiences a first half in which it alternates moments of great offensive effectiveness, taking advantage of the Serbs’ difficulties in defending inside the area (they concede almost 58% from two), with defensive amnesia evident in central pick and roll situations proposed by Sfairopoulos’ team. Red Star scores an 8-0 run at the start of the second quarter, with Canaan (11 points) and Mitrovic (13). Segafredo relies on good ball circulation, finalized by Clyburn (11 points and Cordinier (8). In the 20th minute after a turnover by the former Efes of Bologna, the guests are ahead 44-38. The V-Blacks pay the penalty ‘1/9 from 3, 4/10 for the opponents. Upon returning from the locker rooms, Segafredo seems to appear on the parquet with a different face. The men, coached by this evening Jakovljevic, increase the intensity in defense (13 points conceded to the Serbs in the third period) and also manage to find the spark that unlocks the offensive phase. The opportunity is a stolen ball from the Juventus defense, which Cordinier capitalizes on, with a triple transition that is worth the overtaking (55-52 at 26′). From this moment on, Virtus plays with a different awareness, Shengelia and Clyburn are increasingly involved in the match, with Belinelli acting. as a facilitator for Segafredo’s game. It is precisely on the axis between the captain of the V-Blacks and the number 21 that the basket is made which makes it 63-57 at the third siren. At the start of the fourth quarter Shengelia lights up, going on a positive streak in attack, thanks to penetrations and cuts towards the rim. Thanks to the impact of the former Baskonia and a couple of flashes from Pajola, Segafredo also reached +10 (75-65 in the 33rd minute). Canaan and Yago Dos Santos propitiate the 15-5 break for Red Star, which calls everything into question again. With just over 3’ to go the score is tied at 80. The final is characterized by the play of the individuals. The V-Blacks are increasingly in the hands of Shengelia, while on the other side it is Kalinic who scores a sensational triple to overtake (85-88 with 1’28”from the end). In the final seconds, the home team, caught up in a bit of frenzy, made a few too many mistakes. The Serbs take advantage and advance to the Segafredo Arena, 94-87.
V. Bologna: Shengelia 25, Clyburn 19, Cordinier 13
Red Star: Canaan 26, Mitrovic 21, Petrusev 20
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