Milan greets the Euroleague: Maccabi wins 85-66

Even the arithmetic comes to certify the exclusion from the Euroleague playoffs of Olimpia, twin of that of Virtus: the two flagships of the baskets return from Istanbul and Tel Aviv with a double rejection and spankings that hurt. But it was certainly not at Yard Eliahu, facing a very strong Maccabi Tel Aviv, that Hines and co could straighten out the season, already thrown away in the winter by the many injuries and excessive inertia to replace them. Armani, already slapped on Tuesday by Efes, at least fought against one of the most glittering attacks of the competition but always chased after it, sinking up to minus 17 of the long break before attempting an improbable comeback and crashing, exhausted, on the last straight: the photo of the season.

Maccabi immediately set things straight, erasing the precocious and minimal external advantage (6-7) and always finding the heart of the Milanese area. Lorenzo Brown’s mastery, which he creates for himself and his companions, surpasses that of Shabazz Napier. The big men Melli and Voigtmann are always a lap behind while the ball circulation of the yellows is symphonic. There’s already trouble at 23-13, with only Luwawu-Cabarrot and Shields producing anything, and not even the 3-2 zone defense manages to tickle Maccabi: Roman Sorkin, a big man of Belarusian origins who had already feasted at the Forum, he wallows in the area scoring 14 almost consecutive points canceling the return attempt (31-27) signed by Deshaun Thomas, the left-handed winger who played for the Tel Aviv woods five seasons ago. Baron is out of petrol, the returning Kevin Pangos is out of breath in directing: the beautiful Olimpia of eight victories in nine days, the one who had given hope for a miracle, melts prairies to Brown and Baldwin, a pair of guards with unlimited talent. At 20′ the 53-56 printed on the scoreboard swells the songs of the yellow people.

At least Olimpia hasn’t disappeared. Not immediately, at least, producing a good third quarter thanks to the pride of Shields and Hines and the only flash of Shabazz Napier, his hero who is beginning to know the toughness of European defences. With a little less waste on the line (it will be 18 out of 28 in the end) EA7 would even have a chance to play for it. Instead, at 66-60 in the 32nd minute, he melts away. Brown and Baldwin dominate, DiBartolomeo and Martin riddle from outside, bringing the hosts back on the run to 85-65. Shields ends up on the bench battered, extending the cursed trail. Only the championship will remain: a seat for two, between Milan and Bologna, to console one of the disappointed ones.

Maccabi – Armani 85-66

MACCABI: Sorkin 18 points, Brown 17 (8 assists), Baldwin 15

ARMANI: Napier 15, Shields 14, Thomas 9