Basketball, Euroleague: Milan beat covid and Asvel: 81-80 and return to third place

After a few games of fogging, Malcolm Delaney returns to being the decisive player that Olimpia expects every night. And, behind him, Tommaso Baldasso makes a thought clear. In the Euroleague, there can be. And how. Season-high for both. 24 for Delaney, 15 in the first half alone, in which he plays for a long time as a one-man band in a Milan with reduced offensive potential due to the absences of Sergio Rodriguez, Shavon Shields, Gigi Datome and Troy Daniels. 13 in less than 15 ‘for Baldasso, including a triple from midfield highlight and another bomb invented out of nothing to erase the great final fear. When, after crashing to -12, Asvel finds the strength to fight back and put its head forward for a moment at 1’29 “from the siren.

Olimpia needs the entire first half to break in. Then, in the third period, the defence it works again, closing every passage. And the starting-five, thanks also to some good plays by Davide Alviti (7) e Devon Hall (11), builds a big break to touch the +11 at 25 ‘(47-58). Inertia seems to be addressed. Asvel struggles to build sensible actions. And coach Messina takes the opportunity to rotate the entire bench with an eye to the big-match of the championship arriving Sunday in Bologna against Virtus.

Milan loses balance. Baldasso he holds it up with heroism even throwing it on a fleeting one +12 (58-70 at 33 ‘), but Asvel finds enthusiasm riding Lighty’s infallible plays. We need a new upheaval of the quintet. But the game that seemed to have been won has changed into a lethal mind trap. The fear of a new comeback falls like a cleaver, clouding minds and quality of offensive play. I’m two impromptu plays, invented from scratch by the Baldasso-Delaney couple, to chase away ghosts. Before the psychodrama finale.

Hall commits a foul on a lineout while the game is stopped 10 “from the siren. Unsportsmanlike. Lighty leaves a free throw on the street. But Asvel, back to -1, has the ball in hand again to win. Jones builds a corner shot in step-back. Not bad, but not special either. Iron does not welcome it. And, on the long rebound, Wembanyama doesn’t have the time to burn the siren with yet another triple in the evening. Milan exits the Astroballe breathing a huge sigh of relief. This went, with all the difficulties of the case. Now the result of Real Madrid is expected but the head is already on Sunday, for the challenge that is worth the first place in Serie A.

LDLC Asvel Villeurbanne-AX Armani Exchange Milano 80-81

• Asvel: Okobo 7, Jones 10, Howard, Antetokounmpo 11, Wembanyama 18; Fall 4, Osetkowski, Strazel, Diot 2, Lighty 28. N.e.: Gist, Lacombe. All.: Parker.
• Milano: Delaney 24, Hall 11, Alviti 7, Melli 1, Hines 8; Tarczewski 1, Ricci 2, Baldasso 13, Bentil 7, Grant 7, Biligha. All .: Messina.

The Euroleague standings without the three Russian teams: