© photo by SAVINO PAOLELLA
The sense of suffering, the tiredness, the small aches and pains from the battle of Cisterna di Latina are still alive. Which also brings with it the transitory joy of a victory that there is no time to enjoy. Hdl Nardò Basket, the Nardò basketball and the sporting Salento, are already projected towards Wednesday, the crucial match against San Giobbe Chiusi. But it was essential to win at the home of Benacquista Assicurazioni Latina, going through the inevitable suffering, extra time and the tug of war with the opponents and perhaps with themselves. In the Pontine area, the Granata “generals” emerged, Iannuzzi (19 points), Stewart jr. (18), Parravicini (23) and a touching Smith (who played until the pain in his thigh kept him standing), but they all gave their bit, indispensable and courageous wingmen, all capable of tightening their teeth and fight. Coach Luca Dalmonte glosses over the individuals, as usual, and already talks about going beyond everything that has been and is.
“Fatigue and aches and pains are there for everyone – he said at the end of the match at the Cisterna sports hall – tonight, after all, we played against a team that has 3 or 4 men out and has brought one back for this match. So , we are not in a position to complain. I was aware that we were facing an opponent who plays efficient basketball, also in relation to the personnel they have. It is no coincidence that they have achieved the results they have achieved in the last few games, so we take it the match without other considerations about tiredness and ailments, because we really can’t dwell on these things. Now we have “the” match and therefore we have to go beyond what can be an ailment, an annoyance, I add a pain. objective that we cannot sit on something that really cannot influence us. We suffered, I had foreseen this, we played to win without looking at aesthetics, because today it doesn’t count. Today it’s important to recover our strength, it’s important to recover mentally and have the toughness that will allow us to play the next match as best as possible. Wednesday, after all, is the mother of all matches”. The Granata coach also has words of great appreciation for the hundred Granata fans who came to Lazio in this vital phase of the season. “It is a duty, because it comes from within, to add to the our match who accompanied us on this trip. There is the awareness of an investment of time, very long, of passion, of very strong emotions and therefore it was nice to fortunately reward with a victory those who have undertaken this journey, those who have followed us here today”. Now, therefore Chiusi. A victory enough. Overcoming fatigue, pain, mistakes and everything that happened. These are the last, decisive, hundred meters of the Granata marathon.
