Virtus Bologna chases away the ghosts and eliminates Tortona, 92-63 in game 5. Now he is in the semi-finals with Reyer Venezia

There is an instant, when Andrea Zerini scores the basket from the corner that brings Tortona back to the lead -7 at the beginning of the second half, in which Bertram senses, from afar, the chance to repeat Casale’s unthinkable double feat in Bologna too. The Lions just halved the -14 with which Virtus seemed to be able to take full control of the match in the final stages of the second quarter. But, in fact, it’s just an instant. Because, from that moment on, Bologna spreads its wings. Returning to embody the role of the true #1 seed of the post-season.

Virtus sweeps away ghosts, fear and adversary with a second half of very high quality on both fronts. Come back square, rocky and suffocating on the perimeter, keeping faith with the numbers that crowned it the best defense of the regular season. And recover total fluidity and coherence in attack, transforming every tactic of coach De Raffaele into a short, very short blanket. Bologna wins with quality, experience, bench depth but most of all, heaviness of the roster. Because never before has the team explored every opportunity to find with great effectiveness advantage in post-up situations and approaching the basket. Archery is a very limited factor (only 7/18, 39%). Bologna builds success by grinding tons of points on the bezel (25/29opened by a 9/11 in the first quarter alone) and hammering at the iron (23/42 from two, 55%).

Certain. There is the return in great pomp Of Marco Belinelli, on the scoresheet with 15+5 assists after the two matches in Tortona. Of his releases come on pin down seasoned with lucid readings also to serve the blockers. Of that pure champion’s kick with which he scores the crazy triple of +15 in the 24th minute (58-43). The basket that, in fact, breaks the dam, unleashing Hell. There is the misleading scoreboard Alessandro Pajolawho scores 13 almost consecutive points in the fourth period, in full swing garbage-time. But there are, above all, the triumphal ride of Toko Shengelia (22), returned indomitable after the flu problems and the two dull matches in Casale. The awakening of Jordan Mickey (12), illuminated by the same dominant visions of race 2. The massive presence of Ante Zizic (8), at times overflowing from the bench.

If Virtus rises from the ashes scattered across the Piedmont countryside, Tortona shows little or nothing of the compact, hungry and combative team seen in Monferrato. And not even that joke, but still competitive, from the first two episodes of the series. The game construction is poor. The heavy shot, lethal weapon of the two victories, collapses in a dive (9/3327%). The suffering in working against the newfound physicality and aggressiveness of the Bolognese defense is evident. Bertram is reduced to a couple of initial escapes on the counterattack Kyle Weems and of inventions from the dribble of Chris Dowe. Then, once the flush of Tommaso Baldasso from the bench (11), he realizes, almost suddenly, that he no longer has anything in his quiver. Neither on a technical level, nor on a physical, emotional and mental level. The collapse is as rapid as it is thunderous. The -7 in the 22nd minute already turns into a -20 at 29′. Until it overflows well over 30 in a fourth period without any technical-tactical concept.

• Bologna: Belinelli 15, Shengelia 22, Hackett 2, Dunston 4, Cordinier 8; Pajola 13, Lomasz, Mickey 12, Polonara 2, Abass 2, Zizic 8, Mascolo 4. Coaches: Banchi.
• Tortona: Strautins 4, Obasohan, Ross 10, Kamagate 5, Weems 10; Candi 3, Tavernelli, Radosevic 4, Zerini 5, Dowe 8, Baldasso 11, Baldi 3. Coaches: De Raffaele.