It was a good night for the two EuroLeague clubs
Milan wins third straight Italian League crown; Maccabi takes 1-0 lead in Israeli League finals
Article
4 Mins read
EA7 Emporio Armani Milan is the Italian League champion for the third year in a row after beating Virtus Segafredo Bologna 85-73 at the Forum on Thursday night to win the series 3-1. Milan and Virtus have met in each of the last four Italian League finals, with Ettore Messina’s squad winning the last three straight after the team from Bologna came out on top in 2021. This is the first time Milan has won three successive Italian League titles since 1984-87 under Dan Peterson.
Nikola Mirotic once again shined for Milan, netting a game-high 30 points to ensure the side from the fashion capital notched its 31st Italian championship. He had 12 rebounds, too, to give him a double-double. Nicolo Melli and Shavon Shields were the only other Milan players to score in double figures, finishing with 12 and 10 points, respectively. For Virtus, Isaia Cordinier scored a team-high 21 points in the defeat, with Achille Polonara and Iffe Lundberg adding 12 points apiece, too.
Virtus scored the first 5 points of the game, but Milan soon recovered and found itself 15-7 ahead with 4:27 minutes to go in the first quarter. However, a late surge by the visitors saw Virtus hold a 22-23 lead at the end of the first 10 minutes. Milan regained the lead with the first make of the second quarter and didn’t trail again, even going ahead by 11 points when Mirotic made it 41-30 with 3:28 remaining before halftime. At the break, Milan held a 46-36 edge over Virtus. When Milan netted the first 10 points of the third period, it already looked like the game was beyond Virtus’s reach, with the score 56-36 with 6:31 on the clock. Milan managed the score the rest of the quarter and led 66-50 entering the fourth. Virtus was able to reduce the deficit to single figures when Lundberg’s three-point play made it 69-60, but Mirotic and Devon Hall calmed things down for Milan once again, 76-62. Virtus had some late hope when four straight points by Cordinier made it a seven-point game, 80-73, with 1:24 remaining, but Milan made just enough winning plays to come away with an 85-73 triumph.
Maccabi goes 1-0 up in Israeli League finals
Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv has taken an early advantage in the Israeli League finals by downing Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv 84-76 in Game 1 on Thursday night. The game was tied entering the fourth quarter, but Maccabi stepped up in the final period by outscoring the visitors 24-16 to start the series on the right foot.
Bonzie Colson was the star man on the night for Maccabi, netting 18 points and grabbing 7 rebounds, while Josh Nebo came close to a double-double after posting 15 points and 9 boards. Jasiel Rivero finished with 12 points and Lorenzo Brown recorded 8 points and 8 assists. Hapoel’s leading scorer was Xavier Munford, who had 20 points, while Jaylen Hoard had a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Tyler Ennis added 14 points and Tomer Ginat chipped in with 11.
Hapoel managed to come out on top at the end of the first quarter, leading 25-26, but Maccabi responded in the second and was able to go into the halftime break with a 43-38 advantage after netting 18 points compared to Hapoel’s 12. Hapoel came out from the halftime break reinvigorated and managed to make up that five-point deficit by winning the period 17-22, setting up a mouthwatering fourth quarter with the score tied at 60-60. Then, in the final period, Maccabi went up a gear to come away with an 84-76 win.