The Bianconeri win by coming out in the third quarter against Tortona, while Reggio wins by controlling the match in Venice
LBA PLAYOFFS (QF)
Reyer Venezia (#4) – Pallacanestro Reggiana (#5) 74-82 [0-1]
The first unexpected result of the LBA Playoffs 2024 arrives immediately, Reggio Emilia in fact wins over Venice after having been in front for the whole match. Coach Priftis’ boys, on the other hand, start the first half with more energy and are already ahead at the interval 34-42, but Venezia doesn’t give up and tries to recover in the second half, until it scores 74 equal to 66″ from the end after the slam dunk of Kabengele(14 points and 9 rebounds). There though Jamar Smith(25 with 5/6 threes) closes it with two free throws and the triple of +5 23″ from the end. Also worth mentioning are the 18 with 5 triples of Galloway and the 10+7 of Tarik Black. For Venice 13 is not enough Wiltjer and the 10th of Spissu.
Virtus Bologna (#1) – Pallacanestro Tortona (#8) 92-80 [1-0]
The Vu Nere play a terrible second quarter, but light up in the third, thus closing the match with Tortona and taking a 1-0 lead in the series.
Virtus starts off strong and even reaches a double-digit lead, but in the second quarter Tortona takes the field decidedly more aggressive and manages to close the gap. The second partial in fact reads 17-27 for the guests, who, led by a Baldasso(15 to the end) already at 11, they overtake and finish ahead 44-48 after 20′.
In the third set, however, the Vu Nere set things straight with a good collective contribution and an excellent defense, while Tortona has an offensive black-out, the quarter’s set thus reads 24-8 for the hosts who lead 68-56.
In the last period Tortona gets closer to -9, 83-74 at 2’40” from the siren after the triple by Strautins(10), but the triple of a present Belinelli(16) and the layup of Abs(9) close the race, which ends on 92-80.
Worth mentioning on the Virtus side are the excellent matches Lundberg(15) e Lanyard(18), while for Tortona the aforementioned Baldasso and Strautins as well as are not enough Radosevic(10), the only other player in double figures for the Piedmontese.
