Serie A basketball: the results of the 29th day

The first two verdicts of the 2025-26 championship are the relegation of Sassari to Serie A2 and the safe first place of Virtus Bologna. At Palaserradimigni it ends 73-80 for the black Vs 73-80 (Niang 16), who close the regular season at the top of the table for the third year in a row. For second place, Milan and Brescia will compete, because Olimpia advances to the Forum 86-78 against Trieste thanks to a super third quarter (Shields 20) and catches Brescia, who falls to Tortona 88-80 (Baldasso 18, Gorham 16). The Piedmontese do not put fifth place on ice because Reggio Emilia, sixth, beats Naples 91-80 (Barford 16), in seven days they go to Treviso, already safe, and can hope for Derthona’s misstep in Venice, which secures fourth place in Cremona by winning 111-88 (Cole 22). With Trieste already seventh, the last playoff place will be played between Varese, which has 24 points (rest today), and Trento, two points behind but which wins in Udine 76-69 (15 from Steward). Nutribullet wins at the PalaDesio but Cantù also celebrates: both are safe.

SASSARI-VIRTUS 73-80

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Dinamo’s hopes of survival are definitively shattered. Virtus beat PalaSerradimigni three and a half years after the last time – it was October 29, 2022 – and with the fourth consecutive victory they secured the lead in the regular season for the third year in a row, while Sassari no longer has the possibility of escaping from the last position in the standings. Banco di Sardegna’s feat lasts only half the match. After holding Virtus to 11/35 from the field in the first half, Mrsic’s team returns to the locker room leading by 7 points (37-30) with the illusion of being able to fight until the final day. But the 30-15 run in the third quarter completely reversed the match: Niang, the best scorer of the match, was decisive, hitting 8 of his 16 total points right in the third period and making the Black Vus run away, who then never looked back.

Sassari: Macon 15, McGlynn 13, Marshall and Buie 9

Virtus: Niang 16, Pajola 12, Diouf and Dos Santos 11

REGGIO EMILIA-NAPLES 91-80

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UnaHotels’ sensational season finale continues with their fourth consecutive victory, but they don’t reach fifth place, given Tortona’s victory against Brescia. Napoli’s season virtually ends here, as they can no longer hope for a place in the playoffs. After three balanced quarters of the game, everything was decided in the final period: this is where Troy Caupain came out, starting to come into his own and forcing the defense to foul repeatedly: 10 points in the last 10′, of which 8 were scored from the foul line. Rossato’s performance of 15 points and 5 rebounds was also very good, while Bolton’s late triples were not enough for Guerri to keep her post-season hopes alive.

Reggio Emilia: Barford 16, Rossato and Caupain 15

Napoli: Bolton 16, Mitrou-Long and Totè 12

UDINE-TRENTO 69-76

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Apu’s chance to grab eighth place is gone, while L’Aquila is still in the running to hope for the post-season. Having put the three consecutive defeats behind them, Dolomiti now needs the final effort, against a forbidding opponent like Olimpia. Cancellieri’s team contained the hosts well inside their own area, limiting Udine to 13/30 from 2, while in the other half of the field they moved the ball well and sent four players in double figures (Steward, Jakimovski, Bayehe, Battle). In a match made up of partials and counter-partials, the decisive one was the 9-0 in favor of the guests achieved in the 28th minute thanks to shots from the arc by Bayehe and Battle. Apu gets closer halfway through the last quarter, but a couple of consecutive baskets from Steward cancel out the comeback of Vertemati’s men.

Udine: Bendzius 16, Dawkins 15, Christon 13

Trento: Steward 15, Jakimovski and Bayehe 12

MILAN-TRIESTE 86-78

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Trieste started badly, shooting 0/8 from 3 and a paltry 5/18 from the field. Milan gets into gear as the minutes pass, taking advantage of the energy in transition of Bolmaro (11 points at 20′) and an eager Diop (8 at halftime). Trieste shakes up with baskets from Candussi, Ross and Ramsey, the best of his team with 13 points on the scoresheet in the 20th minute and a 9-0 break. Olimpia, however, remains in control, despite 1/7 from 3, but 14/22 from 2: 46-38 at halftime. With an excellent third quarter, EA7 closes the deal. The partial speaks clearly: 21-8. Poeta’s boys, thanks to 8/19 from 2 and 13 rebounds, escape. The baskets by Shields, LeDay, Nebo and Guduric were decisive. The fourth period is one of pure control for the home team, despite the guests’ 32 points in the last 10′.

Milan: Shields 20, Bolmaro 15, Ellis 10

Trieste: Ramsey 20, Ross 14, Uthoff 12

TORTONA-BRESCIA 88-80

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After a balanced first quarter, Brescia tries to loosen up in the second thanks to Burnell’s transitions and Nunn’s penetrations (28-35). Vital and Strautins unblock Bertram from the line. Fioretti’s men benefit from a couple of fouls to reach 38 in the 20th minute. The balance also holds at the start of the second half and is broken in the fourth period, in a match that rewards the defenses more than the attacks. A couple of triples from Baldasso (4/5 at 40′ from the arc), together with a transition and Pecchia’s 1/2 on the line flies to +12. Baldasso again touches the lead with the support of +16, Brescia doesn’t score for 7′.

Tortona: Baldasso 18, Gorham 16, Hubb 12

Brescia: Ivanovic, Burnell 17, Bilan 14, Nunn 12

Cremona – Venice 88-111

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Vanoli Cremona bid farewell to the playoffs and Palaradi perhaps bid farewell to Serie A. The Lombards’ last home match ended in defeat. But for some it is the last one ever, if the owner Aldo Vanoli really decides to give up definitively. For its part, Venezia plays its game and makes no concessions, confirming itself as the best away team in the championship and the best attack: the 111 points scored are a season record. The third quarter was decisive, partial 21-10 and the Lombards forced to only 3 field goals. For Rj Cole’s orogranata 22, already above twenty at the start of the second half, but also 8/10 from two and 6 assists while Candi’s 17 are the maximum of the season. Cremona plays a good first half (34 points in the first quarter, never so many this year) but collapses in the second half (17 total turnovers) thanks to a short rotation of players given the absences of Veronesi and Udom, unavailable, and with Casarin with 4 fouls already in the third quarter. Umana, fourth in the standings, will close the regular season at home against Tortona. Cremona says goodbye to the season in Trieste, the other place at risk, the fans thank Aldo Vanoli with the banner: 23 times thank you president (twenty-three are the total seasons played by the club under the Vanoli name). Cremona: Battle 21, Durham 15, Willis 17.

Venice: Cole 22, Candi 17, Horton 13.

Cantù – Treviso 72-80

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In the end it’s a double celebration at PalaDesio. Objective achieved for both Cantù and Treviso: both teams maintain their stay in Serie A. The challenge goes to the Venetians, the Brianza team bid farewell to the season with a defeat given the rest that awaits them in seven days, the last day of the championship. But Sassari’s defeat at home against Bologna condemns the Sardinians and so the siren doesn’t care who won. The hosts of Acqua San Bernardo play better in the two central quarters and end the third quarter ahead 56-51. Nutribullet Treviso, with their sixth victory in the last seven, the second consecutive away match, achieved half an achievement, given that the goal of salvation, a couple of months ago, seemed almost impossible. The last 10′ were decisive for the boys trained by coach Nicola, partial 29-16 and a great game from Croswell: 20+10 for the big man who had started the season in Naples and was the protagonist of a great battle under the basket against Ballo (12 rebounds, 4 blocks but only 4 points and 2/8 shooting). Ten rebounds also for Cappelletti who however fires blanks (1/13 shooting), as does Bortolani (0/6 from the arc).

Cantù: Moraschini 15, Fevrier 11, Bortolani and Sneed 9 Treviso: Croswell 20, Pinkins 15, Weber 13.