Germani dominates in the first half, closing on +20, but gets caught up in the fourth and decisive period. Massinburg takes care of saving his team, who win 79-70
There Germani Brescia and Estra Pistoia they give life to a match with a thousand facets, in a game 1 of the quarter-finals of the Serie A playoffs which is resolved in the final. La Leonessa seems in full control after the first half, which closed on 48-28 and on +20, but lets his guard down and lets himself be caught six minutes from time. From here on, CJ emerges Massinburgwho saves his team with triples: Brescia wins 79-70 and takes the lead in the series.
Germani Brescia needs a great finish to snatch victory in game 1 of the quarterfinals of the Serie A playoffs, which pitted the Lombards against Estra Pistoia: it ends 79-70 in a match that reserves many surprises in the second half. Under the eyes of coach Dan Peterson, the Leonessa immediately made a significant move. Amedeo Della Valle’s triples bring Brescia to 9-2 and 13-5, with Christon and Burnell sealing a flattering run of 23-12 after the first quarter. In the second period Brescia is in total control and spreads, even allowing itself some spectacular plays: Gabriel amazes everyone with the dunk, Bilan “doubles” Pistoia with a score of 38-19. Estra fails to recover and triples from Burnell and Massinburg do the rest: it’s 48-28 at half-time, +20 for Germani. The wide margin lowers tension among the Lombards, who pull the plug on the resumption of hostilities. Estra immediately took advantage of this and, like an ant, began to nibble away at points and came back to within ten points.
Della Rosa’s free throws at the end seal the score -3 and give a completely different perspective to the final period, which starts at 61-55 for Brescia. In the first five minutes, in fact, the guests scored eight points and their rivals only two: thus the draw was born at 63-63 six minutes from the end, an unforeseeable scenario. Christon takes care of waking up Germani, who takes the lead again and definitively closes the game with a great protagonist: CJ Massinburg scores the safety triple, before Akele closes the game at 79-70. Brescia rejoices as they win game 1 with Bilan as top scorer (19). Three players in double figures were not enough for Pistoia, with Varnado finishing on 16 points ahead of Willis and Moore (15), to turn the result around.
THE SCORESHEET
GERMANI BRESCIA-ESTRA PISTOIA 79-70 (23-12, 48-28, 61-55)
Germani Brescia – Christon 11 (3/8, 1/1, 2/2 tl), Gabriel 3 (1/3, 0/5, 1/2 tl), Bilan 19 (6/11, 1/1, 4/ 6 tl), Della Valle 11 (0/3, 3/8, 2/3 tl), Akele 9 (3/4, 1/2, 0/2 tl), Massinburg 13 (1/5, 3/6, 2/2 tl), Burnell 9 (3/7, 1/2), Cobbins 2 (1/1 from 2), Cournooh 2 (0/2, 0/1 , 2/2 tl). Ne Tanfoglio, Petrucelli, Porto. All. Skinny.
Estra Pistoia – Willis 15 (1/4, 4/10, 1/1 tl), Moore 15 (3/7, 2/6, 3/4 tl), Varnado 16 (4/10, 2/7, 2/ 6 tl), Wheatle 1 (0/2, 0/4, 1/2 tl), Ogbeide 6 (2/6 from 2, 2/2 tl), Della Rosa 9 (2/2 from 3, 3/4 tl), Saccaggi (0/1 from 3), Del Chiaro (0/2 from 2), Hawkins 8 (1/3, 1/3, 3/3 tl). Nor Stoch. All. Brienza.
