AX Armani Exchange Milan returned to the title-winner's podium in the Italian League on Saturday by stopping defending champion Virtus Segafredo Bologna 81-64 at home to win their final series 4-2.
Domestic League: Milan rules Italy once again!
It was the 29th national title for Milan and its first since 2017-18. Milan's big early leads and 10-0 starts to both the third and fourth quarters proved too much for the visiting 7DAYS EuroCup champions from Bologna. Luigi Datome buried 5 three-pointers on the way to a team-high 23 points for the winners. Shavon Shields added 15 and Sergio Rodriguez 12 to go with 8 assists. Amar Alibegovic led Virtus with 11 points while Nico Mannion scored 10.
An 18-4 first-quarter run in which Datome scored 8 points and Rodriguez 5 vaulted the hosts to a 20-7 lead. Milan stayed ahead 29-16 after 10 minutes as Jerian Grant added 5 late points in the quarter. The advantage reached 32-16 on Datome's next triple before Amar Alibegovic bracketed a 5-13 response by Virtus with shots from the arc to make it 37-29. Daniel Hackett's three-point play cut the difference to 5 points before Datome's free throws left a 43-36 halftime scoreboard. Kyle Hines and Datome, with his third triple of the night, restored a double-digit lead at 48-36 as Milan's defense held Virtus scoreless for more than 5 minutes into the middle of the third quarter. Rodriguez and Nicolo Melli kept it going until Milan led 53-36 and lost just a basket from that difference before the third quarter ended 61-46. Another 10-0 start to the fourth quarter, filled by Rodriguez, Hines and Melli, pushed the difference to 71-46 and assured that the trophy would rise at Mediolanum Forum once again.