Despite being on a terrible run, the Italian side defied the odds to set up a play-in finale with Baskonia
Virtus silenced the Efes crowd on a memorable night
It was like the script had already been written. Virtus Segafredo Bologna came into the Play-In Showdown on a seven-game losing streak and found itself in a must-win contest against a red-hot Anadolu Efes Istanbul. Few gave Luca Banchi’s men a chance.
That negative feeling surrounding Virtus became even stronger when Will Clyburn caught fire at the start of the game, scoring all 17 of Efes’s points in a 17-12 start that got a raucous crowd inside Sinan Erdem Sports Hall even more involved. Yet, the Italian visitors kept their calm and stuck to the game plan, ending the first quarter with a 9-0 run to make it 23-21. From there, Virtus went from strength to strength and ensured the contest was played at the pace it wanted to play at.
Getting the win over the line
There was little to separate the two in the rest of the clash, with Virtus responding any time Efes looked to try and gain control. Then, in the last five minutes, when baskets were coming at a premium, Coach Banchi saw Marco Belinelli, Awudu Abass and Iffe Lundberg really come to the fore to put Virtus in a position to secure a famous 64-67 win. A special mention for Alessandro Pajola’s elite-level defense in the last quarter, too.
“I have to congratulate both teams because this is a very emotional part of the season, where after 34 games you play all-in on one night in a do-or-die game,” Coach Banchi commented in the post-game press conference. “It’s a matter of values, a matter of technique and energy.
“We faced one of the hottest teams in the league, [which was] coming into the game with 10 wins in a row in the Turkish League and the EuroLeague. On the other hand, we had seven [straight] losses in the EuroLeague that affected our confidence. Tonight, we proved that the team is still firm and determined to explore all the opportunities of this season and this tournament.”
It is perhaps difficult to underestimate just how doubted Virtus was coming into this game. Even among the Euroleague.net journalists, only Editorial Director Frank Lawlor predicted a Virtus win, leaving us 1/5 on the night. After all, Efes had been flying since Tomislav Mijatovic was appointed as head coach, going 8-2 in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and 19-3 overall, while the team had an 11-0 record at Sinan Erdem Sports Hall under his watch. Yet, Virtus was more than willing to turn up and spoil the party.
A much-needed boost of confidence
Tuesday night’s performance was a bit of a throwback to the Virtus that we saw earlier in the season, when Coach Banchi’s squad occupied a top-four spot in the standings. There has been a noticeable drop-off in the last few months, falling out of the top four and then the playoffs altogether before dropping as far as 10th after Round 34, the last spot for the play-in. However, if Virtus can use its win at Efes as a springboard, it should spell bad news for Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, the team it must face on Friday night for a chance to secure the eighth seed in the EuroLeague Playoffs.
“Right before we played this game, I said that this was the most important game of the season – and the next one is the same,” Shengelia said afterward. “We are not ready to go home. We don’t want to go home. We need to go there [to Baskonia’s home] and beat one of the hottest teams as well. Starting from now, we have to prepare ourselves for the game.”
One hour before Virtus’s clash at Efes tipped off, Baskonia’s game at Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv began. There was optimism that Dusko Ivanovic’s side could pull off a shock in Belgrade, Serbia, but it quickly became one-way traffic as Maccabi took control of the contest and ended up hammering the Spanish outfit 113-85. There was more bad news for Baskonia in that defeat, too, as Chima Moneke suffered an injury in the first half and couldn’t return after the break. Hardly the ideal preparation ahead of a do-or-die game on Friday night.
Virtus will be out for revenge as it looks to silence another crowd – this time those who will be inside Buesa Arena. The Italian team ended up losing in Round 34 at home to Baskonia following an incredible 34-point game by Markus Howard, which saw Coach Ivanovic’s team finish eighth and Coach Banchi’s group end the regular season in 10th. But, it may have ended up paying dividends as Virtus has restored its confidence and now heads into its final play-in game in far better spirits, whereas Baskonia is coming off a heavy defeat.
It’s funny how these things play out sometimes.