76 to 72: we return to Brescia (or thereabouts)
DERTHONA BEARS: Spissu 17 (4/5 from 3p), Gay, Frattalone ne, Tava ne, Reati 3 (1/3 from 3p), Bianchi 3 (0/1, 1/3), Marks 11 (3/6, 1/4), Simoncelli 17 (3/4,2/5), Garri 3 (1/4, 0/1), Maghet ne, Antonietti, Brooks 22 (8/15, 0/2). Coach Demis Cavina
CENTRALE DEL LATTE BRESCIA: Passera 4 (1/4, 0/3), Fernandez (0/1, 0/2), Cittadini 4 (2/3), Bruttini 19 (5/5), Alibegovic 6 (1/2 , 1/2), Speronello, Mobio, Moss 8 (3/6, 0/3), Totè5 (1/2, 1/1), Bushati 5 (1/1, 1/5), Hollis 21 (6/ 7, 2/4). All. Andrea Diana
REFEREE: Ursi, Cappello, Scrima
NOTE. First half: 51-32. Partials: 23-20, 28-12, 6-18, 19-22. 3-point shots: Tortona 9/22 (41%), Brescia 5/20 (25%). Rebounds: Tortona 29 (Garri 10), Brescia 25. Free throws: Tortona 19/22 (86%), Brescia 17/23 (74%). Assist: Tortona 14 (Garri 5), Brescia 5. Fouls made: Tortona 24, Brescia 23. Spectators: approximately 1300.
FARMHOUSE. Same script as game 3, same energy for a half and same blackout until five minutes from the end. Then Tortona regains the feeling of the match and also makes game 4 its own (76-72): we should return to Brescia on Thursday for the decisive match but the arena is busy and so the hypothesis of a neutral field (perhaps Treviglio) is anything but remote.
After a fairytale first 20', Tortona clung to its defense at the end. It seems that game 3 never ended for Spissu who made three triples in the first quarter alone (100% from long range). Brescia tries to get Alibegovic into the game, who was absent from game 3, and scores two free throws with Moss: midway through the first period the Lions lead 8-4. Derthona has complicated rotations, but Cavina is not afraid to put Antonietti in place of Garri in the footsteps of Cittadini (there is at least 15 centimeters between the two) or play with Reati as a power forward. The Lions are inferior in terms of physicality, but they have energy to spare. Four consecutive points from Brooks (15-9 with 2'30'' left), Moss and Totè reply. The first quarter ends 23-20 for the Piedmontese, but it is in the second period that Tortona sweeps Leonessa away (28-12). Derthona puts the ball well in the post to Brooks who unloads for the shooters from beyond the arc. In an amen the first real partial (39-26) is packaged with a great Marks. The Leonessa is disarmed in front of the energy of Tortona who plays the best quarter of the season on both sides of the pitch. The percentages are high and all come from good shots. Brooks' dunk gives +21. Brescia doesn't understand anything (with Hollis out of the game with three fouls) and, as in game three, it ends 51-32 for Tortona (70% from three points).
Tortona loses itself in the third quarter and Brescia breaks (13-2) and returns to the match. Simoncelli breaks his long-range drought, but Brescia has Hollis with 21 points and the lead is reduced (57-50) with two consecutive blocks suffered by Brooks (first Hollis and then Moss). The lead is wiped out with 5' remaining (61-61) with Derthona no longer scoring. From this moment the team wakes up. Good spacing begins to arrive: Simoncelli and Spissu score (70-65), the match is put on ice in the free throw round. PalaFerraris throws itself on the parquet to celebrate with the players, but the season is not over yet.
