Euroleague Olimpia Milano wins with Barcelona: the match

Milan makes Barcelona in a Euroleague night between teams that exchange roles. Olimpia, with the Hines-Melli-Ricci trio in great shape and Napier doing the numbers, beat the Catalans 84-76 and seems to be the one ready to fly in the playoffs which instead will not play. Two years ago they faced Barcelona in the Final Four, mocked in the semifinals by a basket on the buzzer by Higgins. This time it’s just a late season regular game. The latest at the Forum in the Euroleague for Milan. But it’s a real game.

olympia signals

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The Italian champion team wants to say goodbye to a tournament that saw them struggle and leave the scene early, reaching the last place in the standings for a long time. And in fact coach Messina lines up the best team, without thinking about Sunday’s championship match. You can’t rest in a match like this. Immediately the pace is frenetic, Melli opens fire from three. Laprovittola replies. There is Shields very active but it is Napier who does not light up immediately. So two triples from Kuric push Barca to +7 (12-19). Milan does not break down, again Melli and then Ricci come forward. Barcelona have little from Mirotic, very imprecise, but they have many solutions under the basket. First quarter up 18-21 for the Catalan team. In the second Olimpia also looks for the inside game, Hines is alive and flies to dunk on an assist from Pangos. A triple from Baron warms up the Forum for the internal +4 (30-26), Laprovittola returns with a triple. Here the match is point to point. Melli finds a basket kissed by the backboard, then hits again from three. On the siren of the break Napier finally unlocks himself with a triple that gives the 39-36 of the 20′ with Melli already at 11.

Milan sprint

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Resuming with Napier picking up where he left off: triple and two free throws for +8 (49-41), Hines fights like a lion 10 years younger, scores from underneath and blocks Higgins. Barcelona plays badly, suffers from the Milanese defense but above all misses the simplest plays. Ricci from three, still on the siren, signs the 58-48 in the 30th minute. Milan feels the victory and Pangos, still with a heavy shot, signs the +11 (61-50). The last quarter sees Milan even dominant up to an unpredictable +16 on the eve. It would be a triumph if the playoff train hadn’t passed long ago.

the statistics

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Milan-Barcelona 84-76 (Milan: Napier 18, Baron 12, Melli 11; Barcelona: Kuric 17, Tobey 12, Laprovittola 12)