Milan clinched a hard-fought win against Treviso on the road by 91:89, in the 27th round of the Serie A.
Ettore Messina faced challenges with injured players in this game. Apart from Billy Baron, who has been absent for some time, Nikola Mirotic and Maodo Lo also missed this game. Mirotic was sidelined due to a right thigh muscle injury, while the German international is dealing with a problem in his right knee.
Treviso started the game much stronger, with practically everything clicking for the home team offensively, leading to a comfortable +14 advantage (31:17) after the first 10 minutes. However, Milano tightened their defense in the second quarter, showcasing their trademark style of play and reducing the deficit to just -1 by halftime (40:39).
Midway through the third quarter, it seemed like Milano was seizing control of the game with a 13:2 run. However, Treviso responded with a superb display of basketball, initiating their own 12:2 run to maintain their halftime lead after 30 minutes of play. Nevertheless, Ettore Messina’s team demonstrated why they are a EuroLeague-caliber squad in the final quarter. They executed brilliantly on offense, consistently finding the right solutions when needed, and ultimately deservedly emerged victorious.
Shabazz Napier led Milano to win with 20 points, while Stefano Tonut had an excellent performance with 17 points. Shavon Shields maintained his usual high standard with 15 points. In Treviso’s team, Osvaldas Olisevicius and D’Angelo Harrison were the top performers with 22 and 21 points respectively. Ky Bowman also contributed well with 19 points, while Justin Robinson recorded a double-double with 10 points and 11 assists.
With this win, Milano confirmed their current second place and hopes for a slip-up from Brescia against Venezia to potentially contend for the top spot. They currently hold a record of 19-8, while Brescia, with a game in hand, has one fewer loss. Treviso is currently in 14th place with a record of 10-17.
In the next round, Treviso will visit Venezia, while Milano will host Scafati.