Forlì will, as we know, face the playoffs without Kadeem Allen. A very heavy absence, which will inevitably end up changing the balance and structure of Antimo Martino’s team. What is certain is that the red and whites will not, however, lose their soul. That is to say the character and spirit, the ability to come together in the face of adversity, which right from the start of the season led Unieuro to excel in the regular season and win the Italian Cup last month. A quality that, in particular, could be admired several times in the closing stages of balanced matches, which only ended in the final minutes with decisive baskets in the final possessions of the game.
Last Sunday’s match against Latina was no exception either. In a match without any weight in terms of ranking, made even more complicated by the absences and against an opponent called upon to win, Unieuro managed to prevail in the final by finding unexpected resources and throwing their heart over the obstacle. Zampini’s decisive triple of 87-89 was the conclusion of a run set up by -13 at the end of the third quarter, after long minutes chasing the opponents.
A further demonstration of strength by the Forlì team, who on three other occasions, during the second phase which has just ended, resolved the issue with cool blood in the final stages of the game. Furthermore, he always imposed himself on away games. Before Latina, it was Vigevano who ended up under the lethal clutches of Forlì, the next opponent in the quarter-finals of the playoffs now just around the corner. Up by 11 in the middle of the third quarter, Cinciarini and his teammates suffered the return of the Lombards and ended up -3, before resolving the issue with the baskets of Xavier Johnson.
In the previous away match, however, it was Casale Monferrato (75-77) who ended up under the clutches of Unieuro in the final, after Davide Pascolo’s overtaking basket with 30″ to go and the 1/2 in the line of the ‘usual’ Johnson. The same Pascolo who, last March 3rd, gave Forlì a precious victory at the PalaTiziano in Rome, home of Luiss, with a complicated falling basket that sealed the final 79-81 right on the siren.
The match endings in favor of Basketball 2.015, however, are nothing new. Already in the first phase of the championship the red and whites solved some puzzles only in the final phases of the match. In December, for example, six consecutive points were conceded, suffering until the 40th minute and beyond. Emblematic was the home victory in the derby against Fortitudo Bologna, which ended at 77-74 after overtime, with Valentini decisive twice from long range: first to make an impact in the 40th minute at 63-63, then to dig the decisive furrow that gave wings to the hosts. A week later, in Orzinuovi, it was Allen and Captain Cinciarini’s baskets in the final that settled the matter (victory 71-72). But it all started from double overtime at Nardò (final 107-114), an epic challenge that the red and whites had to ‘win’ twice after wasting a +18.
In short, Forlì truly never leaves anything unturned and promptly manages to impose its law even in the most balanced and uncertain races. The only six defeats of the season, not surprisingly, never came at the end of matches that ended point-to-point in the final possessions. A quality, that of the final sprint, which can play a very important role in the playoffs just around the corner. The next opponents are warned.
