Olimpia Milano flies 2-0: Chacho and Datome scramble Reggio Emilia

Ettore Messina (Lapresse)

Olimpia Milano-Reggio 91-65, the series goes 2-0

“The goal in every series is to grow from game to game and tonight we did it, everyone made a contribution and this allowed us to distribute the minutes among everyone. I think it was a better race than the first. We played with an encouraging balance. Now, let’s go to Bologna and try to end the series immediately, knowing that it won’t be easy because they are a team of great character and they will want to sell their lives dearly “. Ettore Messina analyzes in the press room the 91-65 victory of theOlimpia Milan against Reggio Emilia (already at the end of the first half the game was split at 57-32) which leads the series of the playoff quarter-finals on 2-0 after a match dominated from start to finish.

Olimpia Milano, Chacho Rodriguez ignites the Forum. Super Datome and Shields grows

Super Chacho Rodriguez with 14 points, 5 assists that drag the teammates and inflame the audience of the Forum. The evening shows excellent signs of growth from Shieds (9 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists) e Datome (16 points with 5/7 from the field), two players who have overcome the physical problems that conditioned their season and, by regaining condition and confidence, they could be important in view of the final rush of these playoffs: “Gigi he had a thousand physical hardships, but when he played his presence was felt. His shot is important. And Shavon he had a very serious injury and is only now regaining his fluency in shooting. If you do it with tranquility, different spaces open up for you. I agree, they are two important growths and we touch iron. We hope to recover too Melli”, Explains the Olimpia Milano coach.

Olimpia Milano, standing ovation from the Forum for Cinciarini

Jerian Grant entered the series well by responding with a very good performance to the trust he has given him Messina. “Can yours be a stable addition to these playoffs?” I don’t know if it’s definitive, because it can depend on many things. Certainly, if Datome keep playing at these levels we can afford to have a player like him as he can give us something in penetration, as it was today. I must say that in this second half of the season Grant, when he played, always did it well. He can miss a shot or lose a ball, but aggression and physical energy are never lacking “.

The audience of the Forum gave a standing ovation to Andrea Cinciarini when he came out just over two minutes from the end, with theformer captain – best of his team with 19 points and last to surrender his team – who responded by putting his hand on his heart. And the coach of Olimpia underlines: “It has been a wonderful season, as evidenced by the confidence that a demanding coach like Attilio Caja is giving him. If someone like him never deprives himself of it, it practically never means a lot. I’m not saying anything original, it was fantastic and I think he will prove it again in Race 3 ”. In the finale there was also time to applaud the young man Stefano Erba who made his debut in Serie A in the final game, also scoring two points.

Now the series moves to the Unipol Arena in Bologna for Game 3, scheduled for Thursday 19 May.

ARMANI EXCHANGE MILAN-UNAHOTELS REGGIO EMILIA 91-65 (27-14; 57-32; 78-45)

OLIMPIA MILAN: Grant 6, Erba 2, Ricci 8, Baldasso 8, Alviti 6, Rodriguez 14, Biligha 4, Hall 4, Shields 9, Hines 5, Bentil 9, Datome 16. All. Messina

REGGIO EMILIA: Strautins 7, Crawford 6, Colombo, Soliani, Johnson 3, Thompson 15, Hopkins 9, Baldi Rossi 6, Cinciarini 19, Larson. Herds Caja

Note: 2 shots: MI 20/31, RE 13/31; 3-point pitches: MI 13/30, RE 8/25; free throws: MI 12/16, RE 15/19; rebounds: MI 35 (Ricci 6), RE 31 (Larson 6); assists: MI 23 (Rodriguez 6), RE 13 (Cinciarini 3)