The Italian side forced EuroLeague debutant Paris into submission with a late 16-3 rally
Resilient Milan grinds out tough home win over Paris, 79-74
Game Report
3 Mins read
Regular Season
Round 2 of 34
Group Regular Season
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EA7 Emporio Armani Milan eked out a hard fought 79-74 home victory over Turkish Airlines EuroLeague debutant Paris Basketball in Round 2 of the regular season, with Shavon Shields scoring 19 of his game-high 21 points in the second half of a thrilling contest.
Nikola Mirotic racked up 15 points and 6 boards for the home team, while Zach LeDay chipped in with 13 points as Milan fought back from a 63-71 deficit in a frantic climax to the game, denying Paris a first EuroLeague win.
Playmaker TJ Shorts shined for Paris with 17 points, 8 assists and 4 rebounds while Collin Malcolm posted 12 points for the visitors, who ran out of steam in the home stretch after threatening to stage a major upset at Unipol Forum.
Driven by an electrifying atmosphere generated by the home fans, Mirotic fired on all cylinders early on and sank 10 points in the first quarter as Milan took a slender 20-18 lead.
LeDay then came to the fore with a dunk followed by a three-pointer as Milan pulled away to 33-26 in the second quarter before Paris beefed up its defense in the closing stages of the first half.
With Milan committing 10 turnovers in the opening half while managing a mere 7 assists, Paris closed out the second quarter with a 2-13 run which saw the French side engineer a 35-39 lead, having taken better care of the ball and managed 9 assists while committing just 5 turnovers.
Buoyed by its strong finish to the first half, Paris carried on in the third quarter right where it left off in the second, extending its advantage to 43-50 before Milan turned the tables with a 15-7 rally. The home team edged ahead, 58-57, at the end of the third period thanks to a delicious buzzer-beating floater from Stefano Tonut, sparking loud celebrations from the home faithful.
Paris again found another gear early in the fourth quarter, carving out a 63-71 lead on the back of an inspired performance from Shorts, who toyed with his markers while hitting mid-range jumpers almost at will and dishing out assists like confetti.
Just when it looked like Paris was going to celebrate a famous win, the unstoppable Shields stepped up to the plate and propelled the final twist which saw Milan come out on top in a fascinating battle. With the home fans in raptures, Paris players were still able to walk off the court with their heads high after giving Milan a good run for its money.
