By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
AX Armani Milan needed a win in order to get back on track before the crucial game against Real Madrid and Panathinaikos proved to be the right opponent for that.
Despite a feisty first half, Milan broke the game open in the third period and cruised on the way to an easy 75-54 win without much drama.
Devon Hall with 19 points on 8/11 FG was the leading scorer of the hosts, Kyle Hines added 14 points and Sergio Rodriguez finished the night with six points and nine assists.
“It’s much easier to play in the offense when you get stops”, said Hall after the game about the second half. “You get confidence, you don’t worry about missing shots. So we really did a good on defense”.
After the first 20 minutes of action, Milan had a four-point halftime lead (33-29). However, the Italian side started the second half with a 12-0 run (45-29) and the game was over. The hosts ended up winning by 21 points which was the largest lead of the night.
“I think we moved the ball more, we made some big plays with Devon Hall and with Kyle Hines and we got a well-deserved win”, added Milan coach Ettore Messina.
Daryl Macon tried his best with 14 points for Panathinaikos but it was not enough as the Greeks dropped to a 4-11 record. The woes of Panathinaikos continue with the team still missing injured Nemanja Nedovic. Milan has a solid 10-5 record which will be good enough for a tie in the third place of the EuroLeague standings.