Venice responds to Avellino: Cremona knocked out
The 2019 of Reyer Venezia starts well, which in the midday advance wins over an almost unstoppable Cremona on the road 78-67, thus keeping pace with Avellino in second place with 20 points.
For De Raffaele’s team it’s a win that is worth 2nd place in the standings at least for a few hours, and it’s a success that gives morale to a team that was coming off 3 knockouts in its last 4 home games. The key to the Reyer victory is undoubtedly the defense, which holds Cremona to its season low in points scored partly because of a lousy 7/30 from 3-point range. For the hosts it’s a team victory: five players in double figures, most notably Watt’s 18 points and Stefano Tonut’s 14 with 7 assists. Cremona has 15 points from Ricci (but 3/10 from 3) and 12 from a good Stojanovic.
Reyer starts well, immediately up +7 after 4′, but Cremona keeps in touch with a good Demps (9 of his 11 points come in the first quarter) and then posts a 13-0 break at the turn of the two quarters to fly to +6. Sacchetti’s team even touches +8, before a lagoon reaction that is worth -1 at the long halftime.
The music changes in the third quarter: Venice immediately regains the lead and then reasserts its authority by closing the third period with a 14-3 partial that is worth +8 after 30′. In the fourth period the hosts left no room for the guests’ comeback attempts, even pushing to +14 and closing for an important success.
Saturday Avellino had beaten Brindisi 70-68 on the road. An advance in the sign of the balance of the scene in Puglia: to win at the heartbeat is Sidigas, with the prayer of Adrian Banks that breaks on the iron. His 24 points, the only one in double figures of his besides Chappell (14 points), are not enough, and Happy Casa has to postpone its Final 8 dreams.
Nothing compromised, but a victory next round (against Trento, a real playoff) might not be enough. Sidigas, on the other hand, already sure of the pass to Florence (barring reversals because of the Young case), gets another win, the fourth consecutive, to fly (at least for one night) to second place. Green with 18 points and Nichols and Sykes with 16 apiece were decisive.
In collaboration with basketissimo.com
