Euroleague, Olimpia Armani Milano wins in comeback with Efes in Istanbul

Milan to go crazy. You need a crazy team to do what Olimpia did at Efes, sink in the first half, finishing even at -15 and dominating the second half with a fantastic defense, the best in the Euroleague. Olimpia after two defeats in a row needed a victory like this, against the reigning champions who were possible opponents in the playoffs before this match. Efes fell 83-77, scoring just 26 points throughout the second half, half of what they had set in the first half. Milan has many heroes, closes with 5 players in double figures and in the second half keeps the hosts at 1/10 from three, canceling the weapon on which the Turks had built the second half.

the keys

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Milan is reborn in a sensational third quarter, in which Efes walls conceding only 10 points, after the 51 of the first two periods, and in attack with Sergio Rodriguez he hammers just enough to close the hole and be reborn. The disaster of the first half was erased by the masterpiece of the second half, even if a perfectionist like Messina will have as his goal before the next game to understand what went wrong in the first half. The Efes, which came from two consecutive victories, died when the three-point shot stopped entering with the same punctuality with which it did in the first half (10/15 from the arc for the defending champions at the interval). The decline of Micic, Larkin and Moerman, irresistible before the rest and normal after, did the rest by delivering his 13th defeat in 15 matches against Messina in the Euroleague to coach Ataman.

the match

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Micic’s show (13 points) and the triples (7/9 for the reigning champions) push Efes to 30-21 of the first siren, with the gap widening further in the second, when Larkin, in addition to Moerman, begins to hammer. Olimpia is on the ropes and fails to react, reaching the interval under 51-36. Messina in the interval touches the right strings, because Milan is completely transformed in the second half. The defense, the best of the Euroleague, returns impenetrable and grants Efes just 1 field goal in the first 9 ‘, while the attack follows reborn dragged by Rodriguez (8 points and 3 assists in the period). With 11 ”from the end Hines completes the comeback: the third quarter ends with Milan at 62-61, ahead for the first time in the match from the opening basket. The defense of Olimpia remains sensational and the last quarter turns into a spectacular head-to-head, with the Messina team finding the keys to win with a splendid extension in the last 2 ‘. The enterprise is done.
Efes: Micic 27, Moerman 16, Larkin 10
Milan: Datome 14, Hall 13, Shields 12, Rodriguez 12