The team coached by Sergio Scariolo dominates from the first minute and gains access to the next Euroleague by beating Bursaspor.
It was supposed to be a historic night, and it did. Virtus Bologna wins 80-67 against the Turks of Bursaspor and in front of their audience in a single shot goes home the prestigious Eurocupthe second European club competition, while earning theaccess to the Euroleague 2022/23, 14 years after the last time. MVP of the match Milos Teodosic with 21 points, supported by an extraordinary Marco Belinelli author of 12 points and by the pairing Jaiteh-Weems, which lead to 13 points each. After the 2021 flag, a historic Italian basketball club returns to the highest levels in Europe as well.
The match report
In a Segafredo Arena overcrowded for the occasion, the Black Vs they dominated the match from the first to the last minute, playing a great first half both in defense and in attack, where most of the baskets from the field come from assists and from an extremely united game. To dig the first reassuring double-digit margin are the plays of Milos Teodosic and Marco Belinelli, who start smoothly by hitting from beyond the arc and punctually rewarding the free teammates.
The inputs of Alessandro Pajola and Jakarr Sampson offer additional energy to the hosts on the two halves of the pitch, the first with 4 assists and the usual steal, the second making a big voice near the iron and closing the first set with 9 points and 4/4 from the field. Shengelia and Jaiteh, the pair of long starters, struggle to find points but show the rebounding elbows (11 in pairs), just enough to guarantee 41-31 with Virtus closing the first half.
Gabriele Procida declares himself eligible for the next draft: Italy can have 3 young players in the NBA
The second half opens immediately with Kyle Weems ‘triple, Sampson’s rebound dunk and Weems’ block again to respond to the decisive start of the Turks, who of pure pride they begin the third quarter with a completely different look compared to entering the field. Bologna, however, forces a few triple too many and Bursaspor takes the opportunity to move within the single figure of margin with a partial 8-0 (50-43) with the baskets of Dereek Needham and David Dudzinski, which force Scariolo to time-out from which the home team comes out as best they canwith Weems’ baskets from the line, the perfect defensive action that does not even grant the shot to Bursaspor and above all with two consecutive triples by Milos Teodosic, who inflames the 10,000 present, bringing his team back to +15.
In the few minutes of rest that Scariolo grants to the Serbian, however, the guests try to make up for it, closing the fourth at -9 (63-52) and giving themselves another 10 minutes of struggle that start in the best way thanks to the baskets of Bitim and Needham, that after the problems of fouls of the first half rises strongly in the chair as the minutes pass. The Turks date back to -5 on 64-59, but the Black Vs extend again with Harvey and Shengelia putting back 10 points behind and heading towards historical success, for a historic Italian basketball club that finally returns to the stage that belongs to it.
The stirrup basket, on 78-67 comes with a dunk of Jaiteh who, 2 minutes from the end, sends the credits on the challenge together with Weems’ powerful block that denies even the simple counterattack support to Bursaspor. Ends 80-67: next year, with Olimpia Milano, Virtus Bologna will also be in the Euroleague. It is a memorable evening of our basketball.
