Virtus Bologna knockout with Venice, Nenad Jakovljevic knows what was missing
Reyer Venezia took home a very important victory in Game 1 of the series with Virtus Bologna, an away win that coach Nenad Jakovljevic analyzed with words of great self-criticism. “We were not aggressive enough, in particular not coming to the end of the game with the necessary physical and mental strength. In fact, among other things, we gave away too many free throws,” he said to comment on his team’s heavy 83-91 win.
“Venice punished us often on the counterattack, we need to improve in the pace of the game and in the giropalla when we attack. We have to play our basketball for the whole 40 minutes, which didn’t happen tonight,” is Jakovljevic’s prescription for the continuation of the series. Then, focusing on some of Virtus Bologna’s and also Reyer’s individuals, “We failed to impose ourselves for the whole 40 minutes, regardless of the fact that in the final it was Edwards who set the game. In the second half we adjusted the defense on Wiltjer, a very good player, but then we lost our measures with other men.”
The reference to Edwards is not coincidental: the player had already been Virtus’ dragging force in the difficult run against Trento, closed with a comeback from 1-2 to 3-2. In particular, in the Game 4 win at the BTS Arena, the American had been the best player on the court with 26 points, leading the Italian champions to a tie in the series. It was a leadership that Jakovljevic expected to find again in this semifinal, but it was clearly not enough to avoid the home misstep.
Reyer’s path to this semifinal was far from easy. The Orogranata got the better of Derthona Tortona only in the decisive Game 5 at PalaTaliercio, imposing 89-83 after a hard-fought series. Coach Neven Spahija had commented with satisfaction on the passage of the round: “We both showed great quality, I think it was the best playoff series since I’ve been here. We changed a lot, they changed. Are we tough to die? When a team takes so many blows in the season it’s harder, they say in Croatia though that it doesn’t kill you, it makes you stronger.” Words that perfectly capture the spirit of a team accustomed to suffering and fighting back.
On the Bologna front, however, the absence of Derrick Alston Jr., one of the brightest men in the early stages of the postseason, weighs like a boulder. The American, author of an extraordinary performance in Game 1 against Trento with 21 points in just 19 minutes, underwent surgery for a compound fracture of the third metacarpal of his left hand and his return in this post season is impossible. This is a huge loss for the Black Vu, considering that in the regular season he had been averaging 12.6 points with 57.4 percent from two-point range and 42.4 percent from beyond the arc. To fill the void left by the American, Jakovljevic has set his sights on Matt Morgan, back available on the roster after being left out due to the issue related to the maximum number of foreigners that can be used in the league.
Race 2 of the series thus promises to be a crucial crossroads: Virtus Bologna cannot afford to slip to 2-0, on pain of a run-up that historically has proven almost impossible to complete. On the other hand, Spahija’s Reyer arrives at this appointment with the awareness and confidence of those who have already proven they can win in decisive moments, bringing with them all the toughness they have conquered in a season full of trials and difficulties.
