By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
BOLOGNA, Italy – Losing in the opener of the season against Zalgiris Kaunas, Virtus Bologna had then started an 11-game winning streak at home in the EuroLeague, building extra city walls to protect its court. Surviving the black-and-white team’s comeback, AS Monaco broke it with the 81-78 away win.
Drawing 8 fouls for 21 points and 6 rebounds in Bologna, Mike James now needs 29 more to become the All-Time Leading Scorer in EuroLeague history. Performing his best scoring performance of this year’s turbulent and injury-stressed Regular Season, Jordan Loyd had an outstanding shooting night, ending with 24 points over 3/4 from two, 4/7 from three, and 6/7 at the charity stripe.
“That was an extraordinary win, we knew it was going to be a direct rivalry even now for the home position in the standings. We defeated a team full of champions, who knew how to play this type of game. It was a playoff game with toughness and physicality”, Sasa Obradovic stated after winning.
Marco Belinelli was the reason why Luca Banchi’s team managed to come back to single-possession deficits after trailing even by 16 points in the first half. Virtus Bologna’s captain had 21 points over 5/9 from the three-point line. Iffe Lundberg added 15 points off the bench, while Daniel Hackett (6 rebounds and 5 assists) became the first Italian player in EuroLeague history to reach 300 games played.
“Tough loss against a very strong opponent, who showed in the first twenty minutes all their potential and physicality. Better level of attention in the second half, but not enough to win this important game. We have to make our team more united, conscious, and ready for this difficult final part of the regular season”, Luca Banchi shared in the post-game press conference.
Chronicle of a home-game winning streak being broken
Jordan Loyd started the game in a good mood, banking in the first five points for his team. With a putback after Marco Belinelli’s miss, Isaia Cordiner gave the home side the first lead of the game at 8-7. Mike James banked in an impossible fadeaway shot at 4:30. Entering the second quarter just like the first, Sasa Obradovic’s team ran away to the 10-point lead at 26-16.
Blocking former Virtus Bologna’s center and personal teammate Mam Jaiteh, Jordan Mickey highlighted the second quarter before Donta Hall could replicate with an outstanding one-handed alley-oop. Converting three free throws out of three after receiving a foul from Awudu Abass at 2:59 on the clock before halftime, while Mike James brought AS Monaco up 43-27.
Shooting back-to-back from beyond the arc, Virtus Bologna’s captain reduced the deficit to four points, making the crowd erupt. Jordan Loyd interrupted the black-and-white Italian team’s scoring run at the line following Marco Belinelli’s technical foul. Mike James scored the first field goal of the Monegasque team in the third quarter with 5:05 on the clock, ending in traffic for the 2+1 play.
Scoring from deep and drawing the foul from Mam Jaiteh, Jordan Mickey converted the four-point play to bring Virtus Bologna down by only two points (60-58) to start the fourth quarter. Luca Banchi’s team stayed on the edge and Isaia Cordinier brought it back in contention tied at 66-66 with 6:13 minutes to go. Achille Polonara gave Virtus the lead from deep minutes later at 69-68.
Mike James and Marco Belinelli battled it out from distance, tying things up at 74-74 with 2:51 on the clock. With two straight blocks at 1:30 minutes left in the game, on Mike James and John Brown III, Jordan Mickey kept Virtus Bologna up, but Jordan Loyd converted both free throws later to turn things around at 79-78. With eight seconds to win another one, Virtus Bologna wasted it as Iffe Lundberg missed from deep.
Taking some deserved time off in the EuroLeague, the next game in the competition for both teams – and all the rest of the squads – will come after the break for national cup action and the FIBA window. Virtus Bologna will host Valencia on February 29 at 20:30 CET, while Monaco will travel to Barcelona on the 1st of March at the same hour.
PHOTO CREDIT: Virtus Segafredo Bologna / Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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