Tortona pulls off a super performance in terms of tenacity, technique and tactics, knocks out Bologna and keeps alive a series that seemed already over: game 4 on Saturday, again in Casale Monferrato. Reggio Emilia tames Venice thanks to super Chillo and on Saturday it can close the series by flying to the semi-finals.
Tortona-Bologna (91-81) Tortona closes in jubilation, with the embrace between Baldasso and coach De Raffaele and the audience in ecstasy, divided between two of the main protagonists of an evening full of superlatives for the Piedmontese quintet. Baldasso relentless on the parquet, 17 points and 8 in the last quarter, 4 triples from the former Olimpia player who in the playoff climate looks like a shark when he smells blood. Coach De Raffaele, after having harnessed Banchi’s Virtus, finally says: «We played a wonderful match, my team put in sacrifice, ideas, self-sacrifice. The series is long, we gave ourselves another home game. We are very happy, but we haven’t done anything yet.”
Fifteen triples scored by the Piedmontese, 5 by the Bolognese: the difference in percentages from the arc statistically makes the difference, although the difference on the parquet is made by Derthona’s determination, pride and cheek, which surprises Bologna right from the start. Having found Shengelia (7 points) but at low gears, also at low gears the mpv of the season, Belinelli, stopped at 9 points and 2/9 from the arc, Virtus on Saturday will have to face the challenge in a more decisive way if they want to avoid go to game 5. For Tortona, 9 points from Dowe, 11 from Weems and Strautins and 10 from Kamagate, for Bologna 14 from Hackett and Cordinier.
Reggio Emilia-Venice (78-66). Reggio Emilia’s victory has the face, heart and muscles of Matteo Chillo, which dominates – much more than the score suggests – Reyer Venezia and which on Saturday has the opportunity, always counting on the home factor, to close the series. It is the thirty-one-year-old Italian winger who gives wings to the quintet built with wisdom by Coldebella and led by the Greek Priftzis: 16 points, 6 rebounds and an overflowing energy poured onto the parquet throughout the match, a match that Unahotels has in its grip from the start in the end without the lagoon people, careless and distracted, ever giving the impression of being able to reverse the inertia of the race.
And to say that the victory in Reggio comes with the worst performance of the season, in terms of points, of the slinger Galloway, lopsided from the bow and also from two: just 5 points and 1/10 in total. Having taken control of the boards (42 to 32) thanks also to a surprising Michele Vitali who grabbed 7 rebounds, Smith’s 18 points, Black’s 10 and Atkins’ 8 also appear on the home team’s scoresheet. A bad evening for Reyer, only Tucker gave himself a boost after the break, but his 15 points (12 from Spissu, 10 from Simms) were not enough to sound the charge for a quintet that appeared dull and with their backs to the wall: in forty-eight hours he will have to win to avoid a hot elimination.
The situation.
Unahotels Reggio Emilia-Umana Reyer Venezia 78-66 (series 2-1)
Bertram Derthona Tortona-Virtus Segafredo Bologna (91-81 series 0-2).
Tomorrow: Estra Pistoia-Germani Brescia (0-2; 8pm, Dazn, Eurosport 1); Dolomiti Energia Trentino-EA7 Emporio Armani Milano (1-1; 8.45 pm, Dazn-Dmax).
