Virtus Throws It All Away; Mumbrù Explains What Happened in Those Two Minutes

A heartbreaking loss for Virtus Bologna in the EuroLeague: the Vu Nere were defeated by Besiktas 103-101 at the PalaDozza, suffering their third straight loss in the EuroLeague. But this is the most painful loss: Coach Mumbrù’s team had the game in hand in the fourth quarter, when they held a 13-point lead, but collapsed in the closing minutes under pressure from the Turks.

Lonnie Walker IV’s three-pointers were decisive, as he scored 30 points: Morgan hit the game-winning shot, sealing a loss that feels like a major blow for Bologna. Here’s what Coach Mumbrù had to say after the huge disappointment: “We played well for 38 minutes. We played with rhythm, only to lose our way in the last two and a half minutes.”

“So many mistakes—in decision-making and shooting—and we weren’t able to contain their three-point shooting. It hurts to lose like this, at home in front of our fans. This has to serve as a lesson; we need to play for 40 minutes, not just 38 like we did today. Certainly, when you win, you’re not invincible, and when you lose, everything seems terrible.”

Comments from Besiktas coach Alimpijevic: “Virtus deserves to be in the EuroLeague, and the EuroLeague needs Virtus. Tonight there was a wonderful atmosphere—a great showcase for the EuroLeague. It was a great game; I think both teams deserved to win—it could have gone either way. Maybe we had a little more composure. Congratulations to my players for what they did tonight, under these circumstances.”