Cantù beats Pistoia and hopes

In an entertaining Serie A postponement, Acqua Vitasnella Cantù beats GTG Pistoia 82-74. The game is high paced and balanced, where Cantù breaks parity only in the finale with Hodge’s scoring sprees and baskets by Heislip and Lorbek.

Pistoia got off to a much better start in approach and execution, exposing all the difficulties of Cantù, which with so many running grafts lacked confidence in each other. With Moore’s return and Amato’s debut, Knowles returns to his guard role and is exploited very well coming out of the blocks to try the first Tuscan stretch. The game is enjoyable and Hodge enters the game when fouls limit Moore and send him on the runs to an Amato who does not have the pace to hold him. At the first break it’s Pistoia still ahead by six at 23-17, with Cantù staying in the slipstream thanks to Heislip’s three triples.

Fesenko’s physicality is primed little and Kirk is able to make his technique count, but it’s a triple by Antonutti and the intensity of Czyz that worry Bazarevich.

When the pace picks up and they can play loose, it is Cantù that benefits, and with a good break at the end of the first half, they go to rest in a substantial tie at 41-42.

On the return from the locker room the pace drops slightly, Pistoia is much more polished and with two triples by Antonutti and Blackshear digs the furrow forcing Bazarevich to a new timeout. The break brings its results and as soon as Fesenko is primed with more quality and continuity, it pays dividends by dominating near the basket against Kirk. It’s Antonutti again who steals a few baskets from the folds of the game, but after three quarters the balance reigns supreme at 59 even.

Hodge makes the big time by reaching double digits in assists with three minutes to play, but Kirk and Knowles don’t let up and by the final period’s turnaround the game is all to go with Pistoia ahead by a length. The turning point comes at the moment when Lorbek lights up and finds five consecutive points completely reversing the inertia of the match. The best action for Cantù is the one that seals the match with Hodge churning out his 11th assist for Heislip’s triple that gives +6 with a minute to play. Esposito calls timeout, but his team has no more resources to come back and Cantù celebrates the victory with a decisive final rush.

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