Napier invents, Melli and Shields lethal: Olimpia Milano defeats Brescia

Napier invents, Melli and Shields lethal: Olimpia Milano defeats Brescia. Second place (almost) armored

“It was a very important victory, we will have to beat Cremona on their home ground, who will want to finish their excellent season well, to ensure they have home advantage in the first two rounds of the playoffs (quarter and semi-finals, ed). Brescia is a team with physicality and size that in defense tries to close the area and force many shots from outside. In the first quarter we shot very well, in the second we were a little too content with shooting threes, but in the second half we were good at rebalancing the game, there were a few close-range baskets, by Hall, by Melli , Shields attacked the area a lot more. In the end, the percentages say that we attacked well, even with Hall playing reduced minutes and without Mirotic, who we hope to recover as early as next Sunday. The attack was more fluid in the second half because when you attack more fully you also create better shots from outside. Then the defense picked up its tone in the second half.” It is Ettore Messina’s analysis in the press room after Olimpia Milano’s victory that allows the Italian champions to rise to +2 on Brescia with one match left to go until the end of the regular season.

By winning in Cremona, second place will be official, while to hope to conquer the regular season a simultaneous defeat of Virtus Bologna at home against Trento would also be needed.

Milan wins dragged by Shabazz Napier inspired in the direction (19 points, with 10/10 free throws and 8 assists), Shavon Shields who in 34 minutes was decisive almost everywhere (16 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists) and captain Melli who immediately plays the charge, defends strongly and makes himself heard in the final minutes of the match with 5 important points (of the 13 total) that keep Brescia at a safe distance.

On Napier’s evidence, Messina underlines: “He is working hard to help the team on and off the pitch, today he made the best choices not only in shooting but also in passing. I’m happy”.

Caruso started in the quintet: “It’s not a gift, his minutes are deserved for how he is training and how he played last Sunday against Scafati. Today the level was higher, against Miro Bilan and he struggled more, but he is an intelligent boy and I think that he will be able to make the most of this match in which he had some difficulties, for example foul problems”, explains the Olimpia Milano coach.

Towards the playoffs with 4 wide players and 2 long players among the foreigners? Final setup? “No it’s not definitive. To have four foreign wingers today we were shorter in the long runs. So we are still thinking about it, these are not definitive choices. In the meantime, let’s think about recovering Mirotic immediately.”

EA7 EMPORIO ARMANI MILAN-GERMANI BRESCIA 83-77 (28-21, 41-40; 64-61)

OLIMPIA MILANO: Bortolani ne, Tonut 5, Melli 13, Napier 19, Ricci 5, Flaccadori 5, Hall 9, Caruso 5, Shields 16, Hines, Valentine 2, Voigtmann 2. Coach Messina
BRESCIA: Christon ne, Gabriel 12, Bilan 20, Burnell 4, Massinburg 13, Tanfoglio ne, Della Valle 12, Petrucelli 8, Cobbins, Cournooh 6, Akele 2, Porto. All. Skinny
Notes: 2-point shots: MI 15/25, BS 16/32; 3-pointers: MI 13/31, SR 8/23; free throws: MI 14/15, BS 21/23; rebounds: MI 27 (Melli 8), BS 31 (Gabriel 5); assists: MI 16 (Napier 8), BS 15 (Della Valle 6)