Basketball Serie A, the'last day brings a surprise: the picture and playoff dates
The Dolomiti Energia Trento is the last of the eight teams qualified for the Serie A basketball playoffs, which will award the 2025-2026 Scudetto. The bianconeri, beating Olimpia Milano 84-74 (14 points for Bayehe, useless Brooks’ 18 for the meneghini), in fact reach at 26 points Varese, defeated 104-85 at home of Virtus Bologna despite 30 points of Nkamouha: by virtue of the direct clashes, it is Trento itself to celebrate the access to the postseason, ousting Openjobmetis.
Virtus, already certain of the first seed, closes the regular season with 46 points, four more than Germani Brescia, which in the last round beat already relegated Sassari 92-71 (22 points for Rivers). Milan must therefore settle for third place with 40 points, while in fourth position closes Reyer Venezia with 38 points: the orogranata closed the regular season with a painless defeat, 78-75, against Tortona (dragged by Vital’s 20), which instead closes in fifth position with 34 points. The challenge will be repeated right in the quarters.
The sixth place is the prerogative of Reggio Emilia, despite the 78-77 knockout at home of an enthusiastic Treviso for the salvation achieved last week (16 for Croswell, for the red-and-whites 20 on the scoreboard for Barford). They are 30 points for the Emiliani, who will therefore face Milan in the first round of the playoffs. Seventh place at 26 for Trieste, which ends the regular season by losing at home to Vanoli Cremona: 94-87 the score, with 30 by Ramsey for the Giulians and 19 by Anigbogu for Vanoli, whose future is all to be written beyond the salvation won on the court. Trieste will play the quarterfinals against Brescia.
On the court in the last round also Napoli and Udine, with success of the partenopei for 98-71 (20 points for El Amin) that is worth the tenth final place. The Friulians, on the other hand, end their season back in Serie A in twelfth place. At the bottom of the standings, everything was already decided: Cantù (resting on the last day) was already certain of salvation, Sassari instead says goodbye to the top series.
Serie A Basketball, playoff quarterfinals and dates (games 4 and 5 are played only if necessary):
Virtus Bologna (1) vs Dolomiti Energia Trento (8) – May 17 and 19 in Bologna, 22 and 24 in Trento, 26 in Bologna
Germani Brescia (2) vs Pallacanestro Trieste (7) – May 16 and 18 in Brescia, May 21 and 23 in Trieste, May 25 in Brescia
Olimpia Milano (3) vs Unahotels Reggio Emilia (6) – May 16 and 18 in Assago, May 21 and 23 in Reggio Emilia, May 25 in Assago
Reyer Venezia (4) vs Bertram Tortona (5) – May 17 and 19 in Venice, May 22 and 24 in Tortona, May 26 in Venice
In the semifinals the winner of Bologna-Trento faces the winner of Venice-Tortona, while the winner of Brescia-Trieste will face the winner of Milan-Reggio Emilia. Series always best of five games, games 1, 2 and 5 at the home of the best-ranked team in the regular season.
