By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Tonight’s was the fourth time that Crvena Zvezda MTS Belgrade and AX Armani Exchange Olimpia Milan played against each other in the competition. And after four games, the Italian side still didn’t feel the taste of victory.
The hosts were the better team prevailing over Armani in a fashionable way (100-89) and improving their record up to a 9-13 after 22 weeks of action. This was the second time that Zvezda scored 100 or more points this season in the Euroleague.
After a four-point play at the start of the last period by Stefan Jankovic, Zvezda built a double-digit (75-65) lead and never looked back.
However, it was Taylor Rochestie and Mathis Lessort who were calling the shots tonight. Lessort had some flashy moves that will make this week highlights and Rochestie was pacing the game with 9 assists and 14 points.
A short sequence midway through the second quarter helped Zvezda to build a five points lead in the first half (50-45). Zvezda made a 12-0 run mainly because of Lessort. He scored six points in two minutes, but he did more than that. The big man from France was everywhere on the floor. He was hustling on defense, dunking in transition, grabbing rebounds as he almost recorded a double-double in the first half with 9 points and 7 boards.
Lessort was maybe too aggressive as he got three personal fouls in the first half and he had to start the second half from the bench. However, that didn’t stop Mathias from finishing the game with a double-double as he had 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Mindaugas Kuzminskas had perhaps the best game for Milano since he joined the team with 17 points followed by Andrew Goudelock’s 15 points and Jordan Theodore’s 11 points and 8 assists. Unfortunately for Simone Pianigiani that wasn’t enough. With this loss, Armani falls to a 7-15 record.