Towards the clock phase: the Lions already certain of a place in the White Group with 3 days to spare
Second important objective of the season, after qualifying for the Final Eight of the Italian Cup, achieved by Derthona Basket, who - by virtue of the results achieved yesterday on the pitches of the Green Group - are already certain of a place in the next White Group, the one of the first, in which will take the field, in home and away matches, against the 3 best teams in the Red Group at the end of the regular season.
Thanks to a record of 17 victories in 23 matches, the Lions have scored 34 points up to this point of the season: a ranking that can only be improved by Turin (28 points with 4 games still to be recovered) and Urania Milano (24 points with 5 games to play to complete the regular season).
The defeats of Udine, Piacenza and Treviglio, respectively against Turin, Biella and Casale Monferrato, allowed Derthona to obtain the mathematical certainty of accessing the top group with even 3 rounds to spare. The matches against Bergamo, Casale Monferrato and Udine will therefore only define the final placing of the team coached by coach Ramondino at the end of the regular season, significant but not decisive for the continuation of the season.
Because in the second phase each team will carry with them only and exclusively the points scored in the direct matches against the teams that will be in the same group of the clock phase, not those of the general classification. At the end of the matches against the top three of the other group (to date Forlì-Napoli and Scafati, still none without the arithmetic certainty) the final ranking valid for the first six places in the playoff grid will be drawn up. That was decisive for the placement of the decisive phase of the tournament.
Of the three remaining matches, therefore, the one against Apu Old Wild West Udine, postponed from 17 March to 11 April, would take on particular importance if the team coached by coach Boniciolli were to gain access to the White Group. Orzinuovi away, then Trapani Biella and Tortona at home: these are Udine's commitments between now and the end of the season. In case of finishing on equal points with Urania Milano, Apu can count on 2-0 in head-to-head matches.
In the event that Udine managed to finish in the top three places at the end of the regular season, a possible victory at the PalaCarnera on April 11th would allow the Lions to enter the White Group with 6 points in the standings (due to the home success against Torino and the two against Apu), as well as Turin (victory in the second leg against Bertram and double success against Udine), while Apu would start from zero points in the rankings (defeat in the four direct clashes against Reale Mutua and Bertram).
If Urania Milano were to finish in the top three places, the Lions would have 4 points in the standings (the result of a victory and a defeat against Turin and Milan), while to determine the sum of Reale Mutua and Urania it will be necessary to wait for the match scheduled at PalaGianniAsti on Sunday 21 March at 18.00 pm (in the first leg the team coached by Davide Villa won 65-63 at PalaLido Allianz Cloud). In the event that a further team enters the White Group, the criterion according to which each club will have the points in the standings obtained thanks to the results of the direct matches will always apply.
The certainty is that Derthona will compete with the best teams in the Red Group: to define the starting grid for the second phase, it will be necessary to wait for the last remaining matches.
