At the Forum it ends 66-61 for the guests, thirteenth defeat in the competition for Messina
Cade l’Olympia Milan in the nineteenth round of Euroleague. At the Assago Forum the Lithuanians win Zalgiri 66-61. Olimpia wakes up too late, plays a sumptuous fourth quarter and comes close to a comeback after a 19-point gap (at the end of the third period). Ettore Messina’s team pays off for three periods with too low shooting percentages. Thirteenth defeat for Milan, who returns to the field on January 20 against Lyon.
Olimpia Milano’s great fourth quarter is not enough to beat Zalgiris Kaunas. At the Assago Forum it ends 66-61 for the Lithuanians in the 19th day of the Euroleague. For the visitors, Hayes was decisive with 16 points and 7 rebounds, for the Milanese Baron’s 11 points and Tonut’s good performance were not enough.
Messina’s team starts very concentrated, with a lot of intensity and good rebounding, but the shooting percentages make the difference in the first part of the first quarter. Smits is a sniper and is the protagonist in the two mini-parties of the 5-0 guests. Olimpia who comes out of the time-out not very well and pays for the more than 10 lengths disadvantage, filled only by the triple from Thomas who ends the first period on 19-9 for the Lithuanians.
In the second quarter, Zalgiris’ defensive game of great intensity continued, but Stefano Tonut tried to awaken Armani with 5 points and a steal in rapid succession. Melli and his companions return to -6 (26-20) with a 6-0 run closed with 2 points from the former Fenerbache. However, Milan continues to find many mistakes under the knife, which does not happen for Hayes who takes the chair (even rebounding) and ends the first half with 12 points. We go to rest on 37-27 for the guests.
Back on the field, Zalgiris is once again master of the game and the field, with Milan committing 5 fouls within the first 4 minutes. Smits’ triple (within the 7-0 partial) is a boulder and establishes +15 for the Kaunas team. The percentages of Messina’s team remain very low both from inside and outside the arc and the third quarter ends 59-40 for the Lithuanians.
In the fourth period Olimpia tries a great comeback and almost succeeds. For the first 5 minutes, the guests did not score and the hosts’ run was 10-0, with Hall as the protagonist. Milan even goes as far as -2 (63-61) less than a minute from the end, but Ulanovas’ triple from the dribble extinguishes Milan’s hopes. It ends 66-61.
Thirteenth defeat in the Euroleague for Milan, who will return to the field on 20 January, again at the Forum, against Lyon, in the match between the bottom and penultimate in the standings on matchday 20.
