From now on it is forbidden to make mistakes. The most awaited moment, since the meeting last August, has finally arrived: the Virtus playoffs begin on Sunday. In the quarter-finals, coach Recupido’s team finds Svincolati Milazzo, beaten twice in the first phase. Race-1 is scheduled for May 5th, at PalaPadua, at 7pm. Ragusa, fresh from 6 victories out of 8 matches in the Play-in Gold, needs to further raise the bar, both in terms of intensity and attention: “The only viable path is the usual one – explains Captain Andrea Sorrentino – that is, work. Matches are not won on Sunday, but during the week, thanks to hard physical and mental preparation. It’s a philosophy that will count even more in the playoffs.”
Virtus, over the months, has become fully aware of its strengths but above all its defects, and has attempted to correct them game after game. The two victories over Milazzo, both hard fought, however belong to the past: “The playoffs – admits Sorrentino – are a championship apart. The ranking no longer matters and you face your opponents head on. We will find a well-trained team with very experienced people. We will take to the field to try to impose our game right from the tap-off.”
At least until the semi-final, Virtus was guaranteed the advantage of home advantage in the eventual “match”. Sorrentino makes an appeal to the public: “We know that his contribution has never been lacking, but now we need it more than ever. In this period, competitive stress will increase and tension will be through the roof: this is why we need to be encouraged and pushed beyond our limits.”
