by Alessia Marconi
Unahotels- Gevi Napoli – 88-74-Reggio Emilia.(photo Pallacanestro Reggiana)
REGGIO EMILIA – Last home match of the regular season, which saw Priftis’ men face each other coach Milicic’s Gevi Napoli and the former managers Alessandro Dalla Salda and Pedro Llompart, now sporting director of the Neapolitan club. In this match Unahotels have to do without Jamar Smith, who following last week’s injury was diagnosed with shoulder subluxation and will have it for at least two weeks.
Unahotels- Gevi Napoli – 88-74-Reggio Emilia.(photo Pallacanestro Reggiana)
It starts with Weber, Galloway, Faye, Vitali and Chillo who go on Reggio’s first possession. Weber leads the home attack towards the first basket scored by Faye. In defense comes Chillo’s first foul, while De Nicolao’s shot bounces off the rim. De Nicolao himself commits a foul on Faye who scores the basket and also finds the point with the clock stopped. Vitali’s defense on Brown is judged to be a foul on the three-point shot and Brown himself scores three free throws. Reggio struggled in attack and faltered in defense, allowing the guests to draw 5-5. Faye scores under the basket and goes to get a defensive rebound which turns into two more points for him. Vitali takes a shot from 6.75 which gives his teammates some breathing room in a complex moment. Uglietti and Black enter and in defense a foul is sanctioned against Vitali who protests, but there are no doubts for the trio. Grant enters and it is Lorenzo Uglietti as director who puts his teammates in rhythm who risk giving the opponents a basket that is too easy, but Galloway goes to dirty the shot trajectory and the recovery turns into two free throws for Black who however scores 0/ 2. At 12 all Napoli has the ball in their hands but an elbow to the face of Uglietti stops the game and Priftis asks for an instant replay to verify the foul, which however, for the trio, doesn’t exist. A first quarter at a very high pace and it’s 1 minute from the end that the guest overtakes at the hands of Sokolowski: the gap, however, is immediately mended by Tarik Black who doesn’t fit and brings home a basket and a foul, without scoring stopwatch stopped. Reggio defends strongly and finds a great play from Sasha Grant returning in attack. Napoli looks for the basket at the siren but the rim says no. It closes 4-3pm.
It resumes with a throw-in for Napoli who has possession stolen by Uglietti who suffers an unsportsmanlike foul while recovering the ball. Reggio’s attacking action is nullified by the clock quickly reaching 0. They proceed quickly with incredible intensity, while Weber recovers a loose ball which Sasha Grant quickly transforms into two points. Ennis scores a triple for his team, while Reggio loses the ball and once again gives the guests the opportunity to overtake, who don’t let the opportunity slip through their hands. Atkins scores and then Faye: Napoli doesn’t give up ground but if Atkins has found the way to the basket, that’s another three points for him. Uglietti returns and scores immediately, surrounded by the long players. The time out requested by the Reggio Emilia bench arrives to reorganize the attack and it is Grant who scores the two points. Always Uglietti as director and always Uglietti at the basket, with the score moving to 36-32. Atkins tries again and invents three points from the corner while Pullen scores for the visiting team. And returning to the attack that Atkins himself finds two more points, now Darion is really in the game. After a time out, Sokolowski finds the triple at the siren and it ends 40-38.
Unahotels- Gevi Napoli – 88-74-Reggio Emilia.(photo Pallacanestro Reggiana)
It resumes with a turnover by the Reggio team who suffer two points from Owens. Reggio remained in the locker room, three minutes passed before the Reggio team managed to reach the basket and they did it at the hands of Black. Galloway steals a hot possession and serves Weber for the basket to make it 44-40. The visiting defense is unable to contain the energy of Black who goes to the basket again: Milicic asks for a minute at 46-40. After an attacking foul called on Vitali, Priftis protests from the bench, protests which cost him a technical foul. Brown’s free throw is blocked by the rim, but Black’s defense is judged to be a foul and Zubcic scores 1/2 from the line. The Reggio Emilia team returns to the attack and after a free throw by Black, the offensive rebound arrives which gives Galloway the triple. There is confusion in attack and after a few whistles at the limit Palabigi lights up in support of the red and whites who find the basket again at the hands of Grant. A basket from Atkins and one from Faye arrive in succession, in a desperate attempt to create distance, but the visiting team does not retreat an inch. Reggio extends and runs away 63-53 while the siren puts an end to the third quarter of the game.
Unahotels- Gevi Napoli – 88-74-Reggio Emilia. (photo Reggiana Basketball)
It resumes with a throw-in by Napoli thwarted by the home defense which instead finds the basket at the hands of Faye. However, Vitali’s fourth foul arrives and he momentarily leaves the field, while Uglietti goes to take a shot from the other side of the field. Atkins scores again and another time out arrives requested by Napoli who tries everything to stay attached to this infinite match. A block from Faye disintegrates the guest’s attack, now forced to commit a foul on Momo himself to try to contain his overflowing energy. That’s another two points for him, while boos continue to rain down from the trio: it is in fact on a technical to Brown that Galloway scores a free throw. It’s Atkins who goes to the line, where Unahotels isn’t particularly lucky tonight and is in fact still 1/2. Napoli tries again, finding two points with Ennis. Galloway invents a very important support at the basket while the visiting defense shows no sign of letting go even for a second. And here comes Galloway’s triple, which literally from his home, destroys all Naples’ hopes. But Langston is not satisfied and scores another three and guarantees the playoffs for this extraordinary team which achieves the goal with a day to spare. With great heart, Unahotels closes a match almost always in great control, with the very young Bonaretti also having a few minutes on the pitch and officially enters the 2023/2024 championship playoffs. The score is 88-74.
2024-04-29 19:24:37
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