Basketball: Milan and Bologna double, Sassari hit Venice

Umana Venezia – Banco di Sardegna Sassari 55-81 (1-1 in the series)

(partial 10-8 p.m., 2-5 p.m., 10-8 p.m., 9-12 a.m.)

Sensational, but not too much, at Taliercio: Diop (20 points and 7 rebounds), Dowe (14 and 8 assists) and Kruslin (11) sign the feat that draws (1-1) and extends the series with Venice, as well as changing the geography and psychology of a quarter-final, with Race 3 and Race 4 scheduled in Sardinia. Forty-eight hours later, between Reyer and Dinamo, it’s a completely different story: Umana holds up two quarters and Banco di Sardegna builds the outside shot in the third period. If coach Piero Bucchi is the brains and Diop the violent arm under the scoreboards, Dowe, Stephens and Jones are the builders of the escape that turns the inertia of the challenge and on 27′ and expands up to 40-53. Tessitori and Brooks try to mend the distances, but Sassari does what he wants. Robinson, Dowe, Stephens, Kruslin, Bendzius and the unleashed Diop close the accounts: the technical knockout of Venice is sanctioned from -23 in the 35th minute, but the count continues until the final 55-81. One to one and ball in the center in the most balanced series of the lot so far.

Venice: Spissu 10 points, Parks 10, Watt 9. Sassari: Diop 20, Dowe 14, Jones 12, Robinson 12.

Race 3: in Sassari on Thursday 18/05 – 9 pm (Dmax/ Eleven Sports)

Segafredo Bologna – Happy Casa Brindisi 109-95 (2-0 in the series)

(partials 28-21, 25-27, 34-27,22-20)

The defensive application (tending towards the bottom) of Virtus changes, but not the offensive prolificacy (with 109 points scored). And Brindisi, despite going back from -23 in the third quarter to the ball at -4, had to give up again: 109-95 and 2-0 for Segafredo. It started from the start and Scariolo didn’t mind Scariolo: 28-21 on 10′ with Teodosic, Belinelli, Shengelia, Mickey and Cordinier inspired. The Happy Casa, however, bares some of the defensive flaws of the Vu Nere and overtakes, but has to suffer the counter-overtaking and the very heavy third foul by Reed at the interval, forced by a cunning play by Cordinier. Back is the Belinelli show: 10-0 with three triples spun plus a foul and Virtus packs a 25-0 between the second and third quarters (71-48). Brindisi doesn’t give up and goes back uphill: Harrison scores -8 and in the last period reaches -7, missing the triple of -4. Abass scores two triples that chase Happy Casa back (coach Vitucci sent off) and Teodosic closes the game and the match with the bracket basket. On Friday, in Brindisi, Segafredo can drop the trio which is worth closing the accounts.

Bologna: Belinelli 18, Mickey 17, Teodosic 17, Shengelia 16. Toast: Harrison 21, Bowman 16, Perkins 12, Reed 12.

Race 3: in Brindisi on Friday 19/05 – 9 pm (Dmax/ Eurosport 1/ Eleven Sports)

EA7 Emporio Armani Milano – Carpegna Prosciutto Pesaro 86-57 (2-0 in the series)

(partial 27-15, 17-11, 30-18, 12-13)

In the evening of yet another record for Ettore Messina, who arrived at the 119th bench in the playoffs like Charlie Recalcati, Olimpia demolishes Pesaro (86-57) with another great collective performance. The figure of the 22 assists churned out by the Olimpia orchestra shines among the figures of another match that was never born. If Carpegna lasted three minutes in Race-1, this time it doesn’t go beyond ten: too much difference on the parquet. Hall and Hines sign the first extension (+12), implemented by Ricci and Baron in 33-17 also propitiated by almost five minutes of Pesaro offensive blackout. Voigtmann and Shields continue the hammering: Napier and Baron fix the gap up to +28. A flicker of pride from Pesaro forces Messina to time out, followed by a triple from Baldasso to demonstrate that he has learned the lesson. The fourth period, as they would say in the NBA, is just garbage time: Olimpia’s second lesson ends on +29. Thursday, in Pesaro, Milan need the first match point to close the series.

Milan: Hall 13, Napier 12, Ricci 11. Pesaro: Moretti 15, Kravic 12, Tambone 9.

Race 3: in Pesaro on Thursday 18/05 – 8 pm (Eurosport 1/ Eleven Sports)

Today (7.00 pm, Dmax/Eleven Sports) race-2 Tortona-Trento (1-0).