It was almost a play-off, and a perfect performance was needed but it didn’t arrive. Olimpia collapses in Kaunas on the thirty-second day of the Euroleague, suffers its eighteenth defeat of the season, and sees its chances of playing in the play-in disappear almost completely. The Messina team fails to take advantage of the numerous errors made in the first half by Zalgiris, who spreads in the final dragged by the talent of Evans and Sumner. Mirotic’s sumptuous performance was not enough to save EA7, betrayed by Shields, Lo and Melli in attack, by Napier in defense: it ended 87-73, and Trinchieri’s men relaunched themselves in the race for tenth place.
everything in balance
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Messina presents the quintet of the latest releases, with Tonut marking Evans. At the start Milan suffered from the greater aggressiveness of Zalgiris, who exploited the one-on-one situation of his number 2 to create advantages. Olimpia, however, responds immediately with Mirotic: the Montenegrin leads his team to a 12-4 score, scoring 8 points in the first quarter, which passes almost without interruptions and without a triple made. After the first siren, the second Milanese quintet had more difficulty in circulation: turnovers increased and Hayes’ offensive rebounding presence gave Zalgiris several extra possessions, but the hands of Trinchieri’s men remained very cold in the first half. Olimpia, on the other hand, doesn’t look much for shots from outside (3/9 at half-time) instead often going to the line (10 out of 11), but thanks to two triples from an excellent Tonut they maintain a two-point advantage when they return to the locker room. The Italian champions lead 37-35 despite Shields being decidedly out of the game (4 points with 1/7 from the field).
collapse
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The start of the second half confirms Milan’s difficulties: the Lithuanians continue to dominate in offensive rebounding, and find points by repeatedly attacking Napier with the pick and roll. Zalgiris’s intensity rises, the crowd makes itself felt, with Evans and Sumner penetrating the Milanese defense without stopping. The only one to respond to the blows of Trinchieri’s team is Nikola Mirotic: the former Barcelona player is irrepressible, scores in every way and allows Olimpia to stay in the match. In the last ten minutes the festival of errors continues on the part of Milan, who almost never manages to construct high percentage shots. Messina renounces Lo (in great difficulty) and with a revived Shields tries to react to the plays of an unleashed Sumner. The Olimpia coach persists with Napier, but the playmaker’s defensive difficulties are mercilessly exploited by the Lithuanians. It’s still the usual suspects Sumner and Evans who score the decisive set, driving the Zalgirio Arena crazy, with Lakevicius and Butkievicius putting the seal on the Lithuanian triumph.
Zalgiris: Evans 20, Sumner 17, Butkievicius 13
Milan: Mirotic 19, Napier 17, Shields 11
