OfAlessandro Mossini
Segafredo gets back up and beats Olimpia 72 to 64. Shengelia leads the way, the Bianconeri don’t make mistakes in game 2. They return to the field on Tuesday 11th
Virtus scores the final series at 1-1, beating Milan 72-64: the Bianconeri find the strength to recover from the initial -13 and goes back up the slope with Shengelia (21, 11 in the third quarter alone), with the impact of Mickey and Polonara (11 and 10 points) and with the one who has long been the Juventus leader, a Pajola with a rating of 23 (10 assists, 7 rebounds, 4 recoveries) and +16 plus/minus. Milan did badly, throwing away a good lead and playing another game that was not very fluid in attack – only 8 assists – this time without finding the personal baskets of game 1 with only Mirotic and Hall at 13. Now the series moves to Milan, with game 3 at the Forum on Tuesday 11 June.
Olimpia monologue
The Juventus second act starts with cold hands (0/5 with at least a couple of easy open shots missed) while Milan relies on the usual triples, scoring three of the first six attempted in the face of a couple of two-pointers. Banchi suffered the problem of Cordinier’s second early foul, after less than six minutes, and experienced a first quarter of enormous offensive difficulties with only 12 points scored and 4/17 from the field: in this technical poverty and with Olimpia incisively rebound, good for Virtus who ended the first quarter only at -5, 12-17 on Hines’ three-point play, with game 1 heroes Shields and Napier still at zero. It’s only a matter of time, because five points in a row from Hall and a basket from Melli bring Milan to +12, forcing Virtus into a second timeout in a few minutes with the shot meter at 4/22 and a reprehensible attitude, between ugly faces and players objectively in unpresentable conditions, Hackett first and foremost.
Mickey reaction, Virtus turnaround
Sunk at -13, at 15-28, Virtus finally shows their pride and starting from the defense finds a reaction on Jordan Mickey’s shoulders: the big man, between a basket and a block on Hines, is the first to wake up the sleeping Segafredo, bringing with him Belinelli – who pots the first triple after three errors – and Shengelia, once again the first to reach double figures despite the tuna under the basket where he was also awarded a second foul well beyond the limits of the absurd. The Virtus defense increases in shots, with Pajola in command (five rebounds in the middle of the contest, as well as seven assists) and with Olimpia slipping to the point of finishing behind at halftime on Polonara’s three-point play which counts 32-31 Segafredo.
Finally the third quarter: Toko dominates
After the comeback, the ghosts of the third quarter remain to be defeated and this time Segafredo finally approaches it well: Pajola and Mickey make a charge in the wake of the second quarter, but Milan responds above all with Hall – the first red and white in double figures – and with a couple of layups at the rim from the big men, Melli and Mirotic. It becomes an even more physical battle, with playoff contacts and defenses that prevail over the attacks for a good part of the quarter which comes alive in the final corners: Hackett tries to chase away the problems with a triple to which Mirotic responds immediately, then Shengelia is the totem to which Virtus clings for 55-51 at the end of the third quarter, with the Georgian scoring 11 points in the half and having 21 in total.
Mickey and Pajola again
The laborious inertia achieved and maintained is thrown into the waste bin at the beginning of the last quarter, with some unfortunate plays by Hackett that resulted in a 0-6 Olimpia score all on the counterattack. Banchi immediately timed out and Pajola returned to the field, immediately favoring a steal and Napier’s fourth foul: Segafredo found Mickey’s energy again and that of Cordinier who finally attacked the rim with consistency favoring the 62-57 which forced Messina to talk about it with just over six minutes to go. The minute does not revive the red and white attack in a prolonged breakdown and Virtus takes advantage of this by finding the +9 with two baskets from Polonara, a great protagonist with his energy: Milan (with Shields sitting for a long time) finds a precious rebound basket with Hall, to which Lundberg responds, and coming out of the timeout a fundamental triple from Mirotic’s corner for 68-62. Shortly after, the former Barcelona player sends the -3 very short and from there it is Lundberg in isolation who punishes: Milan tries to stay in the wake with two free throws from Napier but the final seal belongs to MVP Pajola who on an attacking rebound pockets the bracket basket which makes it 1-1.
Virtus Segafredo Bologna – EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 72-64
Partial: 12-17; 32-31; 55-51
VIRTUS: Cordinier 9, Lundberg 4, Belinelli 8, Pajola 4, Shengelia 21, Hackett 5, Mickey 11, Polonara 10, Zizic, Dunston, Abass. Ne: Mascolo. All.: Benches
MILAN: Tonut 9, Melli 7, Napier 9, Ricci, Flaccadori 2, Hall 13, Shields 5, Mirotic 13, Hines 4, Voigtmann 2. Ne: Bortolani, Caruso. All.: Messina
Referees: Lanzarini, Attard, Borgioni
Field goals: Vir 28/61 (5/21 from three), Mil 24/62 (8/28 from three). Free throws: Vir 11/14, Mil 8/11. Rebounds: Vir 38, Mil 34. Assists: Vir 21, Mil 8
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June 8, 2024 (modified June 8, 2024 | 10:46 pm)
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