Bologna, April 26, 2022 – At the Siman Erden Sports Hall in Istanbul l‘Ephesus Pilsen makes the second overtaking in the Euroleague playoff series against l‘Ax Armani Milan, winning in Game 3 with a score of 77-65. The team led by Ergin Ataman goes on 2-1 in the total calculation of the challenges and, now, caresses the dream of participating in the Final Four, only another success away.
The duo Micic – Larkin, authors of 36 points in pairs, is the driving force in a match in which the Turks have shown they can manage, also leaving space for the Italian opponent who arrived on the Bosphorus with an extra Rodriguez but without captain Melli and Delaney in control room.
After a fairly balanced first start, Efes moves to + 10 (21-11) with Moerman who rebounds a wrong triple from Pleiss. Olimpia is forced to chase but reduces the gap with the basket and Hall foul that brings his team back to -3 (29-26) using a defensive error by Micic. The hosts respond to the red and white advance with a 13-2 partial thanks to baskets from Anderson, Pleiss and Singleton which Hall, Shields and Grant replicate with the gap that appears less heavy at the interval (42-35). Upon returning from the locker rooms, Ax Armani must make a long run-up before returning to contact with Efes almost at the end of the third quarter thanks to Bentil who made no mistake from the line. Precise is also Hines who gives the overtaking with a table that is worth 59-60 before returning to the bench after having made the fourth foul six minutes from the conclusion. Messina’s troop wasted a couple of balls in attack which were capitalized by Efes. Larkin starts his show giving life to a break of 16-2 in the last three turns of the hands during which he enters eleven points on the scoresheet. It is the turning point of a match that Milan (Hall 16 points) will no longer be able to resume. The decisive race-4 is scheduled for Thursday.
Eurocup
Super Mam Jaiteh overwhelms the Germans of Jaka Lakovic 27 points seasoned by 11 rebounds with 12/16 from the field. It is the loot of Mam Jaiteh, absolute leader in the ranks of Virtus Segafredo Bologna that wins the Eurocup semifinal overcoming Ratipharm Ulm 83-77 in the quarter-final straight match. A real and authentic battle between two teams that have given a hard time during the entire forty minutes of play. The Bolognese build a mini advantage (20-13) sanctioned by Pajola in the first period of the game. The Germans overturned the front in the following quarter by overtaking twice, always with Klepeisz. Virtus argues with the iron from long distance (2/24 the total count) but Belinelli and Cordinier they hold her up to the sound of the third siren. Jaiteh gets to the chair in the fourth and decisive period: the long levers and the energy of the French center allow Bologna to give depth to their game by highlighting the flaws in the defense of the Ulm that will begin to dirty their shooting percentages from ‘ other part of the field, thus having to raise the white flag.