Bertram is intense and proud and only loses in the finale
Virtus Segafredo Bologna-Bertram Derthona 83-77
(18-14, 32-30, 61-54)
Scoreboards:
Bologna: Cordinier 14, Lundberg 8, Belinelli 22, Pajola 2, Mascolo ne, Lomazs ne, Hackett 1, Mickey 17, Polonara 2, Zizic, Dunston 10, Abass 7. All. Banchi
Derthona: Zerini 8, Ross 7, Dowe 7, Candi 3, Tavernelli ne, Errica ne, Strautinš 14, Baldasso 10, Kamagate, Obasohan 13, Weems 6, Radošević 9. Coach De Raffaele
Defeat in the sprint in Game 2 for Bertram Derthona, who played with great pride and intensity at the Segafredo Arena, keeping up with Virtus for all forty minutes. Despite the opponents' attempts to overrun, the team coached by De Raffaele replicated blow for blow and managed to play for the victory until the final moments.
First period with a lower offensive pace than in game 1: Bertram is present as an attacking rebound and plays on par with Virtus, who ends up ahead 18-14 with Lundberg's basket at the end. In the second period Bologna maintains the lead in scoring thanks to the precision in the two-point shot (53%), but Derthona - with great intensity - progressively shortens and comes back into contact: at half-time the score is 32-30.
Upon returning from the locker rooms, the two teams improved their strength in shooting from outside and the match remained balanced. It is then Belinelli (15 points in the half) who gives Virtus the new lead in the match: in the 30th minute Virtus leads 61-54. The team coached by Banchi reaches the maximum gap (69-57) with Lundberg's triple: from that moment Derthona - led by Ross - produces a 0-9 which closes the gap to just one possession (69-66). Cordinier puts three possessions back between the team, but Bertram - proudly - gets back to -2 again (78-76) with Strautinš's free throws. In the final stages of the match, Virtus' coldness on the line shuts down the Lions' final attempts: at the siren it is 83-77.
Thus coach Walter De Raffaele at the end of the race: “Congratulations to Bologna because in the end they won the match, but congratulations to my team who played a match of great technical and tactical depth, structured, playing until the end with the desire to try to extend the series. Tonight we demonstrated that we can compete despite physical problems, with an evaluation of contacts that leaves me perplexed and I want to review, but this does not take away the merits of Bologna.".
