It’s not very common that a head coach speaks so loudly and so clearly against himself when his team celebrates a win. But that was the case of EA7 Emporio Armani Milan head coach Ettore Messina after the game Milan won against visiting Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade on Thursday night.

"In the second half, in the last quarter, we were tired, and I think it’s my responsibility," he said in the press conference. "It’s my fault because I decided to cut the rotation, especially because I thought we needed three ball-handlers against their aggressive defense, so it was a result of this."

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Milan dominated 45-32 at halftime and entered the last period leading 59-49, but was limited to just 6 points in the last 5 minutes of the game. As such, Zvezda rallied to within 4 points in crunch time, something that Messina considered to be a consequence of having pushed his team too much.

"I probably had a tired team in the last 5-6 minutes. It was my mistake and I will try to get back to using better our resources," he confessed.

His team has no need to regret, though, as a buzzer-beating layup coming off an offensive rebound by Kyle Hines with 9 seconds to play ended up securing the outcome for Milan. A key play full of energy that saved the day for a team that completed a perfect two-round week at home.

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Messina blamed himself for Zvezda's late rally

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan v Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (2023-02-02T19:30:00.000Z)

Like so often in his illustrious career, towering center Jan Vesely put team success above personal gain as FC Barcelona ground out a 72-70 home win over FC Bayern Munich to go 15-8 and boost its hopes of finishing in the top four at the end of the regular season.

Vesely being left on the bench was the only surprise in the starting fives of either team, yet the soft-spoken Czech emerged through a selfless display which also earned him an individual accomplishment he can be proud of. Having racked up 10 points and 9 rebounds to go fourth on the EuroLeague’s PIR all-time list, surpassing former Lithuanian great Paulius Jankunas, Vesely stayed as humble as ever when asked how he felt about hitting such giddy heights.

Vesely had a big role for Barca in victory over Bayern

"It’s a good accomplishment, but I like to play team basketball more. My teammates have helped me reach this down the years but let’s go, we have to continue,” Vesely said in an interview after the game.

His performance takes nothing away from that of Sanli, who carried Barcelona early on and vindicated his selection in the starting five.

Mirotic was his usual composed self as he hit three-pointers when it mattered, notably a late one off the glass that gave Barcelona a 70-65 lead.

Bayern’s backup point guard Ognjen Jaramaz so nearly stole the show as he netted his team’s last 5 points to tie the score at 70-70 before Cory Higgins nailed what turned out to be the game-winning shot with 22.3 seconds left on the clock.

Jaramaz then failed with a three-pointer on the buzzer which would have given Bayern the win had it gone in, and the dynamic playmaker could not hide his disappointment.

"I feel bad because we lost, obviously, I had the last shot for the win and I missed," Jaramaz said after the game. "I feel really bad because of it, especially because of the game against Valencia where we had some good minutes but we were not consistent. If the little things had been different maybe we could have won that one and today – if we connect those two games – we could have been 2-0 this week instead of 0-2," he added, referring to Bayern’s 73-82 setback at Valencia on Tuesday. "It has left a bad taste but we have to move on."

Vesely added another milestone

FC Barcelona v FC Bayern Munich (2023-02-02T19:30:00.000Z)

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv used a great rebounding performance and punished the few turnovers committed by Valencia Basket to grab a crucial 93-94 road victory.

Maccabi out-rebounded Valencia 40-22 including 15 offensive rebounds to just 7 for Valencia. Bonzie Colson was Maccabi’s biggest weapon on the glass with 12 rebounds. Still, oddly enough, Maccabi was outscored 16-11 on second-chance points.

While Valencia was ultra-effectivee in using its offensive rebounds, Maccabi was just as good in scoring off turnovers. Valencia committed just 1 turnover in the first half but Maccabi forced 5 miscues within 5 minutes in the third quarter to shift the momentum. Maccabi outscored Valencia 16-9 on turnovers as the visitors lost the ball 12 times. John DiBartolomeo hit 1 of his 5 three-pointers after a turnover and Wade Baldwin gave Maccabi its first lead of the second half after another turnover. That gave Maccabi the confidence it needed to finish the job.

Maccabi dominated Valencia on the glass

Valencia Basket v Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (2023-02-02T19:30:00.000Z)

Double-round sweep at home lifted 

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan again put on a solid defensive performance when it beat visiting Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade 74-69 at Mediolanum on Thursday night. The home team never allowed more than 19 points in any of the fourth quarters, a key to avoiding a late rally and securing its second win in three days.

Milan paid special attention to Zvezda's three best scorers: Luca Vildoza, Nemanja Nedovic and Filip Petrusev. The trio averaged a combined 39.8 points before this game, but they couldn’t find their offensive rhythm for most of the game. Vildoza has just 8 points entering the last period, Nedovic had 4 and Petrusev had just 2 at that moment.

Even though Vildoza contributed a triple and Petrusev resurrected late in the fourth quarter to bring his team as close as 72-68 in the last minute, their shooting chart was all but good. Vildoza finished with 4 field goals on 12 attempts, Nedovic went 2-of-9 from the field and Petrusev was 3-of-7 in the end.

Milan smothered Zvezda, 74-69

FC Barcelona showcased its resilience with a second narrow win of the week, having edged FC Bayern Munich 72-70 on Thursday after Tuesday’s 83-78 win over Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv, improving to 15-8 while Bayern dropped to 9-14 after suffering two defeats on its Spanish tour (73-82 at Valencia on Tuesday).

Barca thus took full advantage of its home court and can now look forward to the final third of the regular season, having been forced to dig deep by a battling Bayern side that missed a bunch of key players.

The home team’s effort was highlighted by an impressive total of 21 assists while Bayern only had 9, and Barcelona also dominated the boards as it racked up 36 rebounds to Bayern’s 31. The Spanish side also made more three-pointers (9 of 21, Bayern 6 of 21), having relied on several players to carry the workload. Jan Vesely came off the bench to finish as the man of the match with 10 points and 9 rebounds, with Sertac Sanli who started instead of him, also contributing with 10 points.

Sharpshooter Nikola Mirotic paced Barcelona with 12 points and Cory Higgins netted 9, including the all-important game-winning shot with 22.3 seconds left on the clock.

So, how did Bayern come so close to staging an upset? It forced a barrage of free throws with patient possession and hit 16 of 17 shots from the foul line, while Barcelona was 7 of 10. In the end, fine margins decided the thrilling contest that came down to the wire.

Teamwork saw Barcelona scrape past Bayern 

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv rallied back from a 10-point halftime deficit to defeat Valencia Basket 93-94 in a back-and-forth thriller that snapped Maccabi’s four-game losing streak. In a battle of teams fighting for the playoffs, Maccabi barely held on after going up by 10 points and improved to 12-11 and 3-10 on the road.

Wade Baldwin poured in 19 points, Bonzie Colson collected 17 points and 12 rebounds and John DiBartolomeo drained 5 three-pointers for a season-high 17 points for Maccabi. Valencia’s five-game winning streak was snapped and the team fell to 12-11 despite Jared Harper scoring 20 points, Klemen Prepelic hitting for 15 and Chris Jones and Jaime Pradilla both chipping 13 points.

Maccabi pounded the ball inside with Colson and Josh Nebo both scoring 4 points in a 5-12 early lead. Valencia mounted a 17-4 answer to lead 22-16 and the home side led 28-24 after 10 minutes.

Maccabi three times got within 1 point but back-to-back triples from Prepelic and a Jonah Radebaugh four-point play had Valencia up 47-38. The lead grew to double figures at 49-39. Harper and Radebaugh each added threes and the gap was 55-45 at the break.

DiBartolomeo came off the Maccabi bench for 2 three-pointers and Baldwin scored 6 points in a 4-16 start to the second half to put the visitors ahead 59-61. DiBartolomeo added 2 more triples and Maccabi’s advantage grew to 67-77. Harper came up with two big baskets at the rim to get Valencia within 78-79 after 30 minutes.

Colson and Baldwin both scored 4 points as Maccabi started the fourth quarter with a 4-10 surge to open an 82-89 gap with under 5 minutes to play. Valencia would not give up with back-to-back triples from Jones and Harper to make it 90-91 with 99 seconds to play. After Jones's free throws evened it at 92-92, Baldwin hit a lefty layup with 24 seconds remaining. Harper only split two free throws with 10 seconds to go but Valencia had one more chance when Baldwin threw the ball away with 3.2 seconds left. But Jones's long three-point attempt was short.

Maccabi wins thriller in Valencia, 93-94

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan had to wait till the last minute to secure a 74-68 win against visiting Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade on Thursday night. The visitors were as close as 72-68 in the last minute, but a key buzzer-beating layup by Kyle Hines coming off an offensive rebound sealed the outcome for the home team. The hosts improved to 8-15 and completed a perfect double-week to leave the bottom of the standings, while Zvezda collected its fifth loss in a row and slipped to 10-13.

Billy Baron was Milan’s top scorer with 15 points on 3-of-6 shooting from behind the arc, while also drawing 5 fouls. Devon Hall poured in 14 points and Brandon Davies contributed 10 more for the winning team. Benjamin Bentil tallied 17 points and 7 rebounds to pace Zvezda, which also received some help from Luca Vildoza, who finished with 11 points and 3 assists.

Milan took the lead early in the game, as it run a smooth offense with five different players scoring in a 15-10 start. Zvezda struggled to score from outside, but found Bentil and Ognjen Kuzmic late in the quarter to keep the home team in sight, 22-18, after 10 minutes. 

Milan increased the speed with Johannes Voigtmann fueling the offense and Hall establishing a double-digit lead, 34-22 midway through the second quarter. A three-pointer by Baron boosted the difference to 16 points, 43-37, although Zvezda made it a little bit better at halftime, 45-32. 

Zvezda’s struggles from behind the arc remained after the break, allowing Milan to retain a safe double-digit lead, despite losing the battle under the boards. Four points in a row by Nicolo Melli helped the hosts retain the margin, 59-46, entering the last minute of the third period. Free throws provided some fresh air to the guests, who trailed 59-49 when the last quarter started. 

A 0-4 run to open the period got Milan a little bit nervous and it got worst for the local fans when Ognjen Dobric, Bentil and Vildoza combined for 3 three-pointers in a row that made it 68-63 with 4:29 remaining. Milan remained scoreless for almost 3 minutes then, but the visitors were not much better in offense. Petrusev showed off to make it 72-68 entering the last 35 seconds, but Zvezda couldn’t stop Hines on the offensive rebound in the following play and the win stayed in Milan.

Milan survives Zvezda, 74-68, to complete perfect week

**Missed shot at buzzer avoids Bayern upset**

FC Barcelona capped a successful two-round week with a hard-fought 72-70 home win over FC Bayern Munich to make it two out of two after overpowering Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv 83-78 on Tuesday, improving to 15-8 and staying firmly on course to reach the playoffs.

Veteran Nikola Mirotic paced Barcelona with 12 points and Cory Higgins added 9, including the go-ahead mid-range shot with 22.3 seconds left on the clock which decided the dramatic contest. Center Jan Vesely posted 10 points and 9 rebounds and Sertac Sanli also racked up 10 points including a pair of three-pointers. Nick Weiler-Babb led Bayern with a game-high 15 points, Ognjen Jaramaz chipped in with 12 and Augustine Rubit scored 10 for the short-handed visitors, who missed several key players through injury and head coach Andrea Trinchieri through bereavement.

After an even start with the score tied 10-10 midway through the first quarter, Barcelona looked set for plain sailing on its Mediterranean coast as a 7-0 streak put it in control. The hosts were 21-14 ahead at the end of the first period, with Sanli and Mirotic dominating the scoring while Tomas Satoransky dished out 4 assists. However, Bayern hit back superbly in the second quarter with Weiler-Babb pulling the strings and Niklas Wimberg stepping up to slam dunk followed by a three-pointer. Bayern’s disciplined approach allowed the visitors to slash a 32-24 deficit to just one point at halftime (34-33), with Barcelona lacking ideas in offense late in the first half.

Bayern nosed ahead 38-36 early in the third quarter before an 8-0 run by the home side turned the tide, but Barca was far from comfortable as Bayern replied with 5 unanswered points, holding its own for the remainder of the period to head into the fourth with only a 4-point deficit. Then came Barcelona’s best spell of the game as it carved out a 63-51 lead midway through the final period, with Vesely dominating the paint and both ends while the backcourt players hit some long-range shots to put the home team in the driving seat. However, Barcelona was far from home and dry as Weiler-Babb and Jaramaz nailed huge triples to force a dramatic climax, as Bayern cut the gap to 67-65 before Mirotic nailed a contested three-pointer off the glass at the other end.

Bayern still refused to roll over as Jaramaz nailed a triple and a pair of free throws to tie the score before Higgins somehow squeezed in the game-winning shot. Jaramaz could have won it for Bayern on the buzzer but his long three with an opponent in his face was off the mark.

Barcelona claws past Bayern, 72-70

### Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv head coach Oded Kattash:

"That was a big one for us. We beat a great team - especially here where they have been playing excellently and we knew it wouldn’t be easy. The first half we were late on everything. We let them run. After 5 minutes we started the game but they played with a really high tempo. We were down 10 at halftime after giving up 55 points. We came out for the second half with the right attitude, with the right amount of effort. We made some tactical adjustments to slow them down, and I am really proud of the guys. That was a big one for us."

### Valencia Basket head coach Alex Mumbru:

"I think we played a good first half. We shared the ball properly. We played our basketball and had good options on offense. But in the second half, Maccabi played at a high level on defense and too many things happened in the first 4-5 minutes of the third quarter. We lost the advantage quickly. It’s true we suffered throughout the game on rebounds - 40-22 - and it’s very hard to compete in basketball when you have that gap in rebounds. But we believed and came back into the game. We had chances until the end and we had the shot to win the game. But in the end, these kinds of games are decided by small details: the free throw we didn’t make, the foul to give we had but didn’t use. And those small details helped Maccabi get the win."

### Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv forward Bonzie Colson:

"We needed to regroup at the half, especially how we came out. We came out pretty soft. We let them get easy buckets. The second half, we just wanted to put an emphasis on playing hard, hitting them first and being aggressive. We did that. It was a great team win. We needed it man. We’ve been battling a little bit on the road. Hopefully, we can continue this. It shows the character of our group. We don’t give up. We are missing some players, guys are coming in and giving us great minutes. It shows our character but we have to use this going forward."

 

### Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv guard Wade Baldwin:

"I was disgusted tonight. I think I had a disgusting performance. The ending was as bad as it gets on my end. But I have to give a lot of credit to my team and the coaching staff for keeping the positive energy throughout the entire game. I think we kept it up in the second half, got some stops, got some huge rebounds. Jarell Martin did a lot of little things to help us win. Bonzie \[Colson\] did a lot of things to help us win. Our captain John DiBartolomeo stepped up again. We finally got a road win. It’s been a long journey, and we are happy we finally got it."