Good first for the Italian champions: 16 on the report for Morgan 16, 15 for Alston
The defense of the title begins in the best way for Virtus: the Italian champions debut with a very convincing victory, beating Naples 105-88. Ivanovic’s team turns perfectly both in attack, where the alternation of a physical center like Diotf and a “stretch Five” as Smailagic makes the difference, so much in defense, where the physicality of Alston and Jallow already seems to be a factor. Bologna builds excellent shots and flies in transition, exploiting the opposing uncertainties in defensive returns. The Magro team tries to cling to a great performance of Simms, but cannot contrast the difference in quality with the Vu-Nere, which bring seven double-digit players with 27 team assists.
broken balance
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The only apprehensions for Virtus arrive in the first minutes, because Simms starts with a 2/2 from behind the arch, but Pajola’s triple wakes up the Vu-Nere who start grinding game. The defensive intensity puts the Neapolitan construction in difficulty, and Bologna breaks the balance with a partial of 10-0 shortly after the middle of the first quarter, signed by Alston, Jallow and Taylor. It is the first escape, but it is already the decisive one. Magro does not have enough weapons to respond to Ivanovic’s rotations, because when he sits Dioauf (10 points and 5 rebounds), Smailagic enters, which distributes delivered for the outputs of shooters such as Edwards, Morgan and Taylor, and opens the field to mark in turn. Just his triple on the siren allows the Vu-Nere to go to rest on 51-32.
The protagonists
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In the second half, Bologna resists the attempt to reaction guided by Simms and the direction of Mitrou -Long: Ivanovic often revolves the players by removing reference points and favoring the freshness of his, who pull with 64% from 2 and 47% from 3. The protagonists alternate, from Edwards who realizes a spectacular triple to Niang – which flies in the end – An alley-Oop, and Virtus exceeds a hundred with an Alston average shot.
Virtus Bologna: Morgan 16, Alston 15, Edwards and Smailagic 13
Naples: Simms 23, Flag 18, Croswell 16
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