Defense and Belinelli, Virtus wins in France

With one night as captain, Belinelli and his 21 points give Virtus the blitz in Lyon. The Black Vu beat Villeurbanne 64-77 and the Euroleague play-off dream remains to be rocked, after a match played without the heavy absences of Teodosic, Lundberg and Ojeleye. The lucid Vu, compact in defense, intelligent in attack, always held the inertia of the game led by a Belinelli in San Antonio Spurs format, 4/8 from three, who gave mental lightness to the others, with Shengelia decisive throughout the match, 10 points, 6/6 from the line, Hackett who put a lethal triple in the final and the careful direction of Mannion and Pajola in a game faced by veterans and chutzpah.

At the start, Vu showed the soul that accompanied her to France: high defense, aggressive forcing the French to 9 turnovers and from there a sparkling first quarter gushed, finished on +7. Then Belinelli got on by hammering Asvel’s basket and Vu reached +12, but from there De Colo took his teammates by the hand and avoided splitting the game, allowing the French to return. The black Vu with less brilliance in attack and less running thus bought the conspicuous advantage, feeling the breath of a -2 first rebuffed by Cordinier then reiterated by Asvel who at rest after the scare at the start of the match, went on 37 -39, perhaps a little tight for the black and whites and 15 points from a wild Beli.

Time to return and De Colo signed the 39 all, however unleashing a jolt vrtussino animated by Cordinier for a 46-51 at the end of the fraction. In pain, Vu was less lucid in her attacks, however, with a free throw from Mannion at the end of the quarter, she entered the last lap with 7 lengths to defend, at 48-55.

A jump shot from 4 meters, a bomb from the corner and Pajola gave himself 5 points in a row, to trigger Vu on +12 8′ from the siren.

De Colo tried to shake up his men, Vu continued lucidly in attack but without finding any baskets, Hackett unblocked it with a triple to make it 56-69. Asvel tried to struggle but had no ideas and no legs to turn the tables. Shengelia made 4/4 from the line and Mickey in one evening didn’t find the rebound in attack and the dunk to make it 60-75 at 1′ 08”. It ended there, with Cordinier who gets injured in the last action after a big basket and goes to sit down with a limp.

On Sunday Virtus hosts Brescia, next Thursday Barcelona will arrive at the Segafredo Arena for the Euroleague.