The Sassari beat the leaders, “armored” Cavina and found a smile again
SASSARI. From a jumble of frightened players to a courageous team with clear ideas, from a brancaleone army at the mercy of events to a solid and compact group. All in 48 hours, from Piazzale Segni to Piazzale Segni, passing through the Riviera di Sorso. The rinsing in Platamona is good for Dinamo, and coach Cavina’s drastic choices do even more good: two days after the pitiful performance staged against Trieste, the Sassari resurrect and beat Riesen Ludwigsburg, leaders of group A, 82-75. Champions League still unbeaten, albeit remodeled. A great first half on a defensive level and a great reaction after the 0-13 collected after the break put Banco back in the running for qualification.
Choices and reactions. The play holder Anthony Clemmons identified as a “bad apple” and anchored on the bench with the nail gun for all 40 minutes; Mekowulu used the bare minimum; ample space for the “old guard”, including captain Devecchi. These are the keys to a beautiful and well-deserved victory, which suddenly puts the Cavina project back on its feet and perhaps definitively clarifies the ideas of the team, staff and club.
The impact it needed. Cavina interprets Saturday’s signals clearly and translates them into a quintet in which there are neither Clemmons nor Mekowulu, the two great accused. The starting five formed by Gentile, Battle, Burnell, Bendzius and Diop starts with three excellent defenses and a couple of fluid attacks, the energy is there, the confidence grows action after action and in just over 5 minutes comes a blaze from 14-2. Dinamo takes offensive rebounds which is a pleasure (already 5), but leaves four consecutive free throws on the iron and sees the Germans approaching 14-8. The intensity and conviction, however, do not decrease even with the start of the rotations and so at the first siren the gap remains wide, 18-8. Dinamo defends, plays well but the discharges on the arc do not find warm hands (2/11 from 3 to 12 ‘), Ludwigsburg instead places two triples in a row with Hulls and Bahere and goes back to -4, 20-16. Captain Devecchi is seen while Mekowulu, so far shy, enters the game with 4 points in a row, then Gentile detonates the bomb and Sassari returns to +10, 27-17. Dinamo does not take a step back on a defensive level, but on the other side there are some mistakes too many and so the gap does not extend as it could: the Riesen mends up to 33-27 then on the siren the Banco is partially compensated with the triple of 36-27 of Burnell.
The backlash. After the rest, the Germans leave with another attitude, attack the iron and in a moment they are there, 36-33. Cavina doesn’t wait any longer and asks for a timeout, but things get complicated because Diop commits two fouls in attack and is down at 4. The situation suddenly worsens: the attack jams and on the other side Ludwigsburg finds very easy baskets. Simon puts the arrow, Hulls puts the triple of 36-40. Bendzius sees himself again, and he is a fundamental presence: the Lithuanian first closes the guests’ break 13-0, then hits 42, and finally places a third triple on the 24 ”siren bringing Banco forward, 48-47. Now it’s a whole different game and it’s time for Treier, who together with Battle allows Dinamo to close the period at 59-51.
The final masterpiece. The quintet without a center works great: another triple from Bendzius and a strong basket from Treier arrive. Less than 9 ‘from the end, the Banco is +13, 64-51. The Riesen makes Logan very hard, Cavina takes him out for a couple of minutes but in the meantime an unstoppable Simon achieves the 69-62 at 4’58 “from the end of the race. Treier makes 0/2 from the line, Burnell commits a breakthrough and luckily Logan is back to limit the damage. Treier is a totem pole, but Hull and Darden hurt, and at 1’14 ”the scoreboard says 76-73. Don’t worry: Logan places a one-ton boom and Gentile’s super stolen arrives at 79-75: Battle signs the stirrup bomb and at the end, at 82-75, the building can cheer. Long last.
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