Milan no longer scores, which panics when it blocks, has players who are afraid to shoot and, thus, the opponents thank them and win without enthusiasm. Fenerbahce also passes through the Forum, with Olimpia reaching +16 in the second quarter, but then goes out (13 points in 15 minutes between the second and third quarters!) and collects their sixth consecutive knockout. Will it be resignation for Messina?
The truth challenge for Milan starts with a triple from Kevin Pangos, but it is an illusion, because the percentages from inside the arc are confirmed as those seen with Efes and Fenerbahce who can score a 5-0 mini-run. Messina’s team raises the level in defense and in the middle of the quarter Luwawu-Cabarrot’s triple explodes the Forum and +4 for Olimpia. The Frenchman still extends for the hosts, with the Turks struggling, but still remaining two possessions away from Melli and his companions. Mitrou-Long and Alvini, however, strike from afar and we go to the first stoppage with Olimpia ahead 21-15.
Milan starts even better in the second quarter. Very tough defense, attack that finally finds the baskets that have been missing for days, with unleashed Mitrou-Long who scores the triple, cheers on the crowd, then it’s Devon Hall who first blocks in defense, then triples and Milan flies up +12. Niccolo Melli’s terrific play in defense, then the blue is on the other side and crushed for the 14-6 run and Milan goes up 35-19. Alviti falls badly, who has to go out, and Fenerbahce’s counterpart who with 5-0 brings them back to -11. Calathes triples, with Milan blocked in attack and timeout on Olimpia’s +8. Fear returns among the boys from Messina and 5 minutes pass before Voigtmann unblocks his goals (after a bad mistake), but Wilbekin’s triple is worth the 37-33 with which we go to the break and Milan has thrown away a 12-point lead.
Calathes brings the Turkish team back to a full possession deficit, with the partial rising to 15-2 for Fener from the middle of the second quarter and Olimpia who continues to struggle with shooting. The basket is bewitched and the ghosts of the latest Euroleague outings for Milan are seen again. Fenerbahce has a lot of fouls at the moment, with three fouls made in less than a minute, but the Messina team didn’t take advantage of it, still stopped by Voigtmann’s basket at the end of the first half. An anti-sportsman also arrives in Melli, equalizer by Calathes, then finally the first points of the second half arrive for Milan with Luwawu-Cabarrot after 3 minutes. We are fighting point to point now, with Guduric who gives Fenerbahce +2 from beyond the arc, while Milan loses Pangos due to yet another injury among the red and whites. Olimpia who finds a triple with Mitrou-Long, but continues to have to chase and Melli who commits the fourth foul and plays from three points for Istanbul who extends to +4. Two badly turnovers by Calathes keep Milan alive, but they don’t really score anymore and Guduric punishes them from beyond the arc and +7 for the guests. Messina insists with a confused quintet and goes to the last stoppage with Fener ahead 48-58 and Olimpia who seems to be in a complete mental crisis.
The music doesn’t change at the beginning of the last quarter, with Fener running away and Milan not scoring anymore. Madness by Devin Booker, who first fouls Hall while he is throwing an impossible triple, then gets his coach whistled and Milan finds himself at -10 without knowing why. Hall tries again, hits a triple and Olimpia returns to single digits, but Vader is the new counter-participant who extinguishes the lack of enthusiasm he had found at the Forum. Foul again on Hall, then on Melli (who also scores) who misses the free throw and remains behind about 10 points with 6′ to go. Olimpia, however, cannot find a partial to reopen the match if she doesn’t score and, thus, despite the good signs shown by Hall, she is sixth consecutive knockout for Milan losing 72-82 and now officially in crisis. And the question is: what will Messina do now?
Credits: Ciamillo
