Play off starts on Saturday with race 1 between the ducals and the Tuscans. Di Bella and Spaccasassi analyze their respective opponents
PAVIA. The quarter-finals of the playoffs for A2 begin on Saturday, with Vigevano-San Miniato at PalaBasletta (at 6.15 pm, closed doors), Sunday in Livorno (at 6.00 pm) race 1 between Libertas and Riso Scotti Pavia.
Di Bella’s challenge
Fabio Di Bella, coach of Riso Scotti Punto Edile underlines: “Too often we think about the future without enjoying what we have. Personal experiences, even serious ones, made me appreciate the present, setting important goals for myself, but going to the playoffs was not obvious or even trivial. We had an excellent season, finishing seventh but with the same points as fifth only for the detached classification. The results have been outstanding. We are now experiencing this second phase in the same way that allowed us to achieve prestigious results this season. Livorno? It is a solid, sparkling team that plays well, moves the ball well and has defensive rules laid down by an experienced coach like Gigi Garelli. What I would like is to arrive at Sunday’s match in Livorno with all the players in place both physically and mentally, so as not to have any regrets later. At that point we can play it in a series where the winner will be whoever proves to be physically and temperamentally more ready ». Pavia has shown this season that it can win even on difficult fields, such as Piacenza and Agrigento. «Having the sports halls closed to the public is the leitmotif of this season – observes the coach Omnia – the field factor understood as the sixth man no one has been able to exploit. In the series that awaits us, the difference will be made by mindfulness, hammering if you win and learning from mistakes if you lose. For me it is important to be ready, then may the best man win. Peacock? He will be able to give us a great hand, with his size and his physical strength under baskets he will be able to help us. To win a play-off series, however, it will be necessary for everyone to always play with intensity ».
Confident stonebreaker
Saturday begins the journey of Elachem Vigevano in the playoffs. First two games against San Miniato at Palabasletta (game 2 on Tuesday at 20, always behind closed doors); then two trips and eventual beautiful Wednesday 26 in Vigevano. For the Gialloblu in such a troubled year, being in the playoffs is already a great achievement.
“We have always said that we wanted a quiet salvation and possibly the playoffs – underlines the vice president Marino Spaccasassi – for now, therefore, we can say that ours was a satisfactory championship”. San Miniato is a team that has made determination and determination its backbone. “We will meet a team that is used to playing at high rates and aggressively in attack, but coming from a difficult period for the positive cases at Covid – still observes Spaccasassi – If we play to the best of our ability I am convinced that it will be a match affordable “. In the same board 1 Vigevano, if he passes the turn, he would face the winner between Chiusi and Fiorenzuola, the latter already crossed three times in the season by the ducals. «We must always remember – continues the number two from Vigevano – that the playoffs are different from the championship. When it comes to a 5-game series, it really depends on the physical condition of the teams. Five games are demanding, maybe in a year like this you could have played the first round in the best of three, but the decision has been made and we will try to do the best we can over the five games ». –