Milan runs away in the third quarter, Bertram takes home defeat
Bertram Derthona Tortona – EA7 Emporio Armani Milano 68-85
(16-22, 36-41, 47-64)
Bertram: Zerini 3, Vital 16, Kuhse 3, Gorham 10, Candi 10, Farias, Denegri 8, Baldasso 8, Kamagate, Biligha 10, Severini, Weems. Coach De Raffaele.
Milan: Mannion 12, Bortolani, Tonut 5, Bolmaro 6, Brooks 7, LeDay 12, Ricci 5, Flaccadori 2, Diop 7, Shields 11, Mirotic 18, Gillespie ne. All. Messina.
Referees: Sahin of Messina, Borgioni of Rome, Noce of Latina.
viewers: 2607.
Bertram Derthona Tortona surrenders to the three-time reigning Italian champions. EA7 Emporio Armani Milano returns the defeat of the first leg at the Forum by going to the PalaEnergica Paolo Ferraris in Casale Monferrato by 85-68 in the 28th day of the Unipol Serie A. The partial that decides the challenge in favor of the red and white guests comes in the second half of the third quarter, a 4-18 to go from the situation of substantial balance had up to that point, 43-46, to 47-64 with which they close clearly ahead in the third period dragged offensively by Mirotic, LeDay and Shields and by a few too many turnovers by the home team. Who are forced to take their fifth consecutive defeat in the championship, risking definitively saying goodbye to the playoff chase in the event that direct competitor Venezia, busy since 20pm, beats bottom club Pistoia at home, making any catch up to eighth place impossible with two rounds left of the regular season.
Complicated start for the Tortona attack, the defense of Milan forces difficult shots, when the technician arrives to protest to coach De Raffaele after several dubious contacts on Kamagate Milan tries to escape with Mannion and LeDay protagonists with 7 points each for the 9-18 of the 6th minute. Bertram enters the game and responds with an immediate 7-0 counterbreak in the wake of Vital's activism, but the last points are from Olimpia to set the 16-22 of the first mini-break. Coming off the bench Denegri lights up the PalaEnergica as usual, two consecutive triples from the outside bring Derthona back into contact halfway through the second quarter (29-31), Gorham's winning one-on-one on LeDay puts him even closer, 31-32 at 17', also thanks to the work on the flanks of Biligha (the best on the field at half time for evaluation with 13 in 10' played). Shields' buzzer-beating basket partially neutralizes Baldasso's previous triple to bring Milan to +5 at halftime, 36-41.
Tortona keeps Olimpia there even at the beginning of the second half, until Mirotic takes the stage. A couple of bombs from the former NBA player open the decisive break, which starts at 43-46 halfway through the second period. After a first half of 2/12, Milan is now consistently finding the target from beyond the arc, another heavy basket, by LeDay, places them in double-digit margin for the first time, also taking advantage of a couple of turnovers at half court by the home team, 45-56 with just over two and a half minutes to go until the last mini-break. The guests take off, Mirotic again widens the margin and Shields completes the work with 5 in a row for 45-64, with Biligha setting the -17 for Tortona at the arrival of the last mini-break, 47-64. In the fourth period Bertram does not find the resources needed to get closer and the defeat arrives which ties its seasonal record in Serie A, 14 wins and 14 losses.
For Bertram there is now another home match, next Sunday at 18:15 the challenge against Napoli, the last of the regular phase 2024/25 on the home parquet.
STATEMENTS “I have to say well done to Milan, in the third quarter we had the chance to get back into the game but right there the difference was made by the physical impact and the talent of their players who broke through the third period”, coach's comment Walter De Raffaele. "We were there as long as we had the energy, then the gap was dug, but, given the difficult physical and technical condition we have been in for a month, we knew that a decline like this could happen. In fact, I have to thank the medical staff who got Baldasso and Candi back on their feet, who until a few hours earlier were not even supposed to take the field".
The press room also featured the President Marco Picchi: "I have been fortunate to come to this room many times to comment on historic goals for the club and I think it is right that I am here now to comment, in fact, on the end of our season, given that with this defeat we have mathematically exited the race for the playoffs, thus failing to achieve what was the primary objective of our season. So, next Sunday against Napoli we will play the last match in this arena, in this city: I want to thank the city of Casale, the people of Casale, beyond what will remain a beautiful sporting rivalry between the two cities, here we have lived 4 beautiful years, in which we have played away from home but not away from home. I have to go back - keep it going - to comment on the negative result. I think that the end of the season with 7 consecutive defeats between the league and the Champions League should make us reflect, it should not make us forget the path we had during the year, especially in the cup where it was positive, but it is also fair to say that, for a team with our ambitions, we are disappointed not to play the playoffs. The playoffs are the best part of a championship, we had the cards to play them but in this period of the season suffering 5 defeats in a row in the league is too negative and forces us to ask why it happened. I first, as a club, have to ask myself if I could have done something more, the players and the technical staff must ask themselves too. I feel sorry for the fans, in this arena we have experienced happy moments precisely in the playoffs. Tomorrow a new season begins, a new chapter, we think in our new, magnificent home, and we will certainly make all our evaluations. Because if a ninth place should not be considered a tragedy, on the other hand it is right to underline that it is not the result we expected and it is up to me to acknowledge that we had to and could have done better. The message I want to send to our fans is that from tomorrow morning we will roll up our sleeves and do everything possible so that in 2025/26 we will return to occupy positions more in line with the ambitions of our club”.
