Michele Catalani’s side will have the opportunity to become the first Italian team to ever win the competition
Milan edges Dubai, 84-86, clinches Championship Game spot
Game Report
3 Mins read
U18 EA7 Emporio Armani Milan has progressed to the 2024-25 Adidas NextGen EuroLeague Finals Championship Game by outlasting U18 Dubai Basketball 84-86 on Saturday. In a back-and-forth affair that featured numerous lead changes, Milan managed to stay composed in the closing stages, becoming the third Italian team to reach the final of the competition after Montepaschi Siena in 2004 and Stellazzurra in 2018. Michele Catalani’s side won all their three games in Group A, with Dubai finishing on a 1-2 record. Now, Milan has the opportunity to become the first ever Italian side to win the competition.
Luigi Suigo recorded a double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds for a PIR of 30. Diego Garavaglia paired his 18 points with 10 boards, Achille Lonati scored 17 and Omar Karem added 11.
Andy Huelves paced Dubai with 20 points and Tomislav Vuckovic netted 18. Simon Gradin completed a double-double of 16 points and 12 rebounds, with Bacary Doucoure bagging 11 points.
Emmanouil Manolopoulos scored the first 5 points of the game, but Lonati netted half of his team’s points for a 10-12 lead. The exchange of blows continued throughout a high-scoring first quarter, which ended with the game tied up at 25-25. Suigo stepped up in the second, taking his tally to double digits, with Milan securing a 45-48 cushion at halftime.
The momentum shifted in the third quarter, with Dubai bouncing back for a 64-56 lead. Milan responded with a 2-7 run, but Dubai maintained a 69-65 advantage heading into the closing quarter. Garavaglia scored 9 of his team’s first 11 points of the fourth, putting the Italian side back in front, 72-76. The game turned into a thriller in crunch time, when Suigo dominated inside on both ends to seal the outcome.
