Reyer Venezia up 2-0, but Neven Spahija still scared of Tortona
The Reyer Venezia beat Tortona also in Game 2 of the playoffs, imposing itself at PalaTaliercio with the result of 87-75. A success hailed with pride by coach Neven Spahija, who, however, admits the difficulties faced by his team against Bertram Derthona and warns not to let their guard down in the continuation of the series.
“Tortona played very well,” Spahija stressed at the end of the game. “However, our defense played at a very high level, especially in the third quarter and until the last 2-3 minutes. That is, when it was clear who was going to win. They, however, created a lot of problems for us especially in rebounding. They prevented us from playing in the open court. It was precisely on this aspect that we worked at halftime, raising the level of physicality. I had said that the chances would be greater for those with the deepest bench, on the court it showed. Kudos to the whole team, but for me Venice is still at 0-0.”
“On Friday Tortona will play in front of its fans and they will do everything they can to win,” Spahija continued. “I want to see a Reyer Venezia that will take the court with the mentality we have long adopted on the road. We need to have a detailed game plan, with some small adjustments that we still need to adopt. Even tonight I saw something I didn’t like, we need to take action to fix it. We will need humility, freshness, preparation. Let’s rest for two days, then get back to work.”
The series now moves to Tortona, with Game 3 scheduled for Thursday, May 22, and the eventual Game 4 set for Saturday, May 24. The eventual bella would be played again at PalaTaliercio on May 26. In the event of qualification to the semifinals, Reyer would face the winner of the series between Virtus Bologna and Dolomiti Energia Trento, with the “Black Vu” widely favored after a 102-71 win over the Trentino team in Game 1.
The condition of Jordan Parks must be kept under watch in the Venetian household. The long U.S. player had already missed the last day of the regular season due to a muscle discomfort, and his management remains one of the key elements of the series.Parks had already had to deal with a left thigh flexor injury last December, and Spahija does not intend to take any risks at such a delicate stage of the season.
In the background, meanwhile, the summer market is already churning. Regardless of the outcome of the playoffs, Spahija’s will almost certainly be the last chapter on the Orogranata bench: the Venetian management has been working for weeks to identify his successor, with the names of Sasha Djordjevic and Frank Vitucci among the most credited, and with the suggestion of Ettore Messina always present. A change of technical leadership that is part of an ambitious growth project, with the club projected toward a move to the new 10,500-seat arena and the Euroleague dream always in the background.
