After three weeks of stop for the national window and the Italian Cup, Palaverde reopened its doors with the rivalry of rivalries: Treviso Basket vs Fortitudo Bologna. The match was resolved only after an extra time, confirming the story of a challenge that in the past has decided numerous championship finals. Fortitudo Bologna won 93-99, who at overtime was more cynical and concrete than the hosts. In Treviso the good comeback of the last quarter was not enough, in which a partial 11-0 had closed the gap of 10 lengths imposed by Effe at the end of the third period. Coach Menetti’s boys will be back on the field in less than 48 hours against Baxi Manresa for the Top 16 of the Fiba Champions League.
CHRONICLE Coach Menetti ranks in a quintet Russell, Dimsa, Sokolowski, Akele e Sims. The hosts start better: 4-0 signed by Sims-Akele. Frazier unlocks Effe from the arc, Treviso maintains possession full of advantage thanks to the baskets of Dimsa and Akele. Fortitudo places a 7-0 break favored by Benzing (5 points in a row), Dimsa interrupts him from the average. The referees whistle unsportsmanlike at Sims, lat Fortitudo he makes good use of the opportunity to go to +6. Dimsa puts in two consecutive triples and goes in double figures, he is TVB’s main offensive weapon at this juncture of the match. Procida takes over the reins of the Bolognese attack, creating many headaches for the defense of Treviso. After the first ten minutes, Fortitudo is ahead 20-24.
The guests are more brilliant and go to +6 again taking advantage of the physicality of Charalampopoulos under the basket. The engine revs of both defenses increase, it remains on the 3 possessions of advantage for Fortitudo. Sokolowski scores a triple, coach Martino opts for time-out. The Effe finds a nice twist with Procida, who steals the ball and dunks by being fouled by Sokolowski. Treviso loses another ball, which turns into Durham’s alley-oop for Procida. Russell interrupts the break of the guests (5-0), on the other side Sims commits the third personal foul. We go to the interval on 34-40 for the Effe, the NutriBullet has to be more lucid if it wants to bring this game home.
NutriBullet approaches the second half well: mini break of 5-0 and two recovered possessions. Benzing and Groselle sign the counter break, but on the other side Dimsa and Jones hit the target from the arc and force coach Martino to time out (45-45; 6:56). Effe’s reaction comes once again from the flare-ups of Procida, which send guests back to +5. Russell keeps the NutriBullet in contact with one of his classic penetrating baskets, but Benzing’s triple forces Menetti’s time-out. Durham goes wild in the fourth quarter final: 5 consecutive points worth + 8 Fortitudo. With ten minutes remaining, the visitors led 54-62.
Resounding start of the fourth period by NutriBullet, which places a break of 11-0 in the wake of the triples of Imbrò, Chillo and Russell. Frazier wakes up the guests from the shock with 5 consecutive points, but on the other side Imbrò goes back to the target from the bow making Palaverde go crazy. Charalampopoulos fires the bomb that puts the Fortitudo back on, Frazier follows him closely: +5 Effe confirming the adrenaline trend of this quarter. Dimsa shortens the arc, Sokolowski supports +1: the game still does not want to know that it has a master. Sims makes a three point game, Frazier makes 2/2: 80-80 and it goes to extra time.
Sims makes no mistake in the free throws, on the other hand Charalampopoulos still scores from three and Sokolowski commits the fifth foul. The game is progressively taking the guest tracks, which go to +4 with Frazier’s basket. Frazier himself hits the target from the bow at the end of 24, Imbrò replies to him the next action. Benzing scores the triple which seems to be the checkmate of Fortitudo but, once again, Imbrò keeps the NutriBullet clinging with a bomb. The finale still smiles at the Effe, who finds the watershed basket with Charalampopoulos. Benzing makes no mistake in the free, Fortitudo wins 93-99.
MARKERS
NutriBullet Treviso Basket: Dimsa 23, Imbrò 19, Sims 14, Russell 13
Fortitudo Kigili Bologna: Benzing 21, Frazier 20, Procida 18, Durham 15
REPORT CARDS
NutriBullet Treviso Basket
DeWayne Russell 7 The best of Treviso for effectiveness in the two halves. Defensively, his pressing works and brings several recovered balls to NutriBullet, from the offensive point of view he sets the pace with good penetrations to the basket and discharges for his teammates.
Giordano Bortolani 4.5 On the pitch for 8 minutes, he loses two balls and succumbs to the physicality of Charalampopoulos under the basket, granting him two baskets in as many actions. Evening no.
Matteo Imbrò 7.5 He loads the team on his shoulders like a true captain, starting the 11-0 break at the beginning of the fourth period. He is the last to surrender in extra time, in which he scores two triples that keep the NutriBullet in contact until the end.
Matteo Chillo 6 He compensates for his shooting errors with 8 rebounds, 5 of which are offensive, and 3 assists. Overall a game of ups and downs, greater concreteness in the offensive situations in the low post would have helped.
Michal Sokolowski 4.5 He never manages to really get into the game, giving the feeling of having accused the tiredness of the commitment with the Polish national team. He has a hard time shooting (1/6 from long range).
Thomas Dimsa 7 We understand that it is in the evening from the two consecutive triples at the start. During the match he keeps his shooting percentages high (5/7 from the bow) and closes as a top scorer of NutriBullet.
Henry Sims 5 Subdued performance, conditioned by several forcing and by the third foul committed in the second quarter. He revives between the last quarter and the overtime, asserting his physicality under the basket. But his rings come too late.
Aaron Jones 5.5 He plays a little too far from the basket, using the three-pointer instead of trying to assert his physical intensity in the paint.
Nicola Akele 5.5 His approach to the match is excellent, but then he accuses a decline that progressively expels him from the match.
