Lyon (France), 7 April 2022 – Entertainment and emotions at the Villeurbanne Astroballe where the Armani AX Milanodespite a roster reduced to the bone by the many absences, ASVEL folded 81-80 landlord in the last round of the Euroleague regular season. A success that allows Olimpia to still hope for third place in the final, which will however depend on a possible coup by Bayern against Real Madrid. Given the many absences, as mentioned, coach Messina this evening drew from the so-called “second lines” receiving an excellent contribution especially from Tommaso Baldasso, author of 13 points. On the shields in the Milanese ranks, however, also a Malcolm Delaney able to take home the top scorer with 24 points to his credit. In Asvel, which after leading the first part of the race ended in apnea in the second but still managed to get back on top from the double-digit disadvantage, the former Cantù, Trento and Sassari David Lighty were instead highlighted with 28 points and the young prodigy Victor Wenbanyama with 18.
The race
ASVEL immediately tried to take over the reins of the match with the energy of Kostas Antetokounmpo and the triples of Wembanyama (15-9), but Milan managed to limit the passive to the sound of the first siren with the flickers of Hall and Bentil (23-20). Prelude to the red and white overtaking paw, propitiated by Baldasso, Ricci and Hines (23-28). However, the new transalpine response has arrived: a 10-0 closed by the umpteenth triple from Wembanyama, which allowed Asvel to take that useful lead to close ahead a very balanced first half (41-40). After the break, Milan returned to the parquet with a renewed determination and an unleashed Delaney: her ltriple of +8 outside at the peak of a 13-4 Milan break (45-53). The external advantage has therefore grown up to +12 when Baldasso also took the chair (58-70), but Asvel did not give up and in the fourth quarter he changed pace thanks to the usual Lighty and Wembanyama who led up to overtaking at 76-75. On the other hand, Delaney and Baldasso always kept Milan alive by bringing it forward (76-80). The hosts, however, tried to hold on to the match and in the end they wasted the opportunity of the engagement with Lighty who, after suffering an unsportsmanlike, missed a fundamental free.
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