The victory achieved by Estra Pistoia at the home of Dolomiti Energia Trentino represented the necessary step to reach the mathematical conquest of access to the playoffs for the red and whites. A goal not even imaginable at the beginning of the year but which Pistoia deservedly achieved on the pitch, first securing safety in mid-April and then definitively closing the playoff discussion by winning in Trento a day early. In particular, Estra, by finishing (as seems very likely) with the current sixth place, would equal the same result obtained in the 2015/2016 season by Vincenzo Esposito which up to now is the best since Pistoia Basket’s return to Serie A. But there is still a small glimmer of hope of even finishing in fifth place, while in the event of a knockout in the last round Pistoia could slip to seventh.
After the publication of all the tie hypotheses in view of the last day of the regular season by the Basket League, these are the possible combinations for Estra based on what will happen during the PalaCarrara match against Openjobmetis Varese scheduled for Sunday 5 May at 6.15 pm, together with the results that will arrive from the other fields. To date the only thing that is already certain is that Estra will not be able to finish the season in eighth place having a 2-0 advantage over Tortona. These are the hypotheses of parity at the end of the 30th day concerning Pistoia Basket: in the event of a three-way finish at 32 with Reggio (therefore defeated in Sassari), Trento (which would conquer the Bologna field) and Pistoia (victorious against Varese ), Estra would be fifth with 2 wins and +8 points difference; Unahotels is sixth with 2 wins and +4; Dolomiti Energia is seventh with 2 wins and -12. In the event of reaching 32 only with Reggio Emilia, however, Unahotels would be fifth by virtue of the best basket difference in the direct comparison, with Estra remaining sixth. In the event of reaching 32 only with Trento (with Reggio beating Sassari and finishing fifth, so to speak), Estra would be sixth and Dolomiti Energia seventh due to the advantage in direct comparisons.
If Trento and Pistoia remained at 30, being joined by Tortona, Estra would still come out on top, boasting three victories out of four in direct matches; Dolomiti Energia seventh, Bertram eighth. Similar speech also in case of defeat of Tortona and arrival at two.
In other words, if Trento loses (a likely scenario, considering that they will face Virtus Bologna away in need of the two points to secure first place in the standings), the red and whites will end the regular season in sixth place regardless of what happens at PalaCarrara. And therefore, if there are no upheavals of any kind, they would face Germani Brescia in the first round, almost certain of finishing in third place.
