Milano secured a home win in the 17th round of the EuroLeague, defeating Baskonia 76:67 and claiming their seventh win of the season.
Despite the absence of Shavon Shields due to injury, Milano confidently secured the win on their home court. The team established a double-digit lead in the first half through solid defense, which they maintained for the remainder of the game.
With this triumph, Milano notched their seventh win of the season, bringing them closer to teams currently in playoff contention. On the flip side, Baskonia suffered their eighth defeat of the season.
Johannes Voigtmann led his team with 19 points and 12 rebounds, while Nicolo Melli contributed 21 points and Diego Flaccadori added 14. For Baskonia, Chima Moneke scored 14 points, Tadas Sedekerskis added 12, and Vanja Marinkovic contributed 10 points.
Before this match, the home team was well aware that their best chance lay in stifling the scorers of the visiting team with solid defense. They successfully executed this strategy, holding Dusko Ivanovic’s team to just 12 points in the first quarter and giving Milano an eight-point lead after the first ten minutes of play.
In the second quarter, the visitors showed improvement in their offensive game, but they couldn’t narrow the gap. At halftime, Milano held a substantial lead of 46:31.
At the beginning of the third quarter, the home team shifted into a higher gear, embarking on a mini-run to extend their lead to the largest margin of 57:36. The tall players of the home team proved to be a significant challenge for Baskonia in the offensive end, as the visitors struggled to find their rhythm. They had poor three-point shooting, and they were outrebounded. However, in the second half of the third quarter, they began hitting shots and closed the gap to 58:48 after a 12:1 run.
Early in the final quarter, Milano once again held a substantial 15-point lead at 67:52. The visitors were unable to mount a serious threat, leading to a secure win for Ettore Messina’s team in the end.