By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
Troubling start of 2023/24 Legabasket season for defending champions Olimpia Milano, as Ettore Messina’s side lost to VL Pesaro 80-87 to suffer second defeat in five rounds.
Not even Nikola Mirotic’s double-double helped Milano grab a win at Mediolanum Forum, as he finished the match with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Ismael Kamagate followed with 15 points and seven boards, while Maodo Lo scored 14 points for the losing side.
Pesaro got to a huge win thanks to Leandro Tote scoring 20 points, Scott Bamforth adding 15 with six assists, and Quincy Ford posting a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds, as well as Ray McCallum who scored 11 points and disshed 10 assists. Trevon Bluiett finished with 11 points, while Valerio Mazzola added 10.
Messina: “It’s my bad”
Coach Ettore Messina took responsibility for the defeat explaining he tried to rest some players.
“I apologise to fans and club for this poor game, both on the attitude and on sacrificing terms. Hats off to Pesaro for a precise and well-done performance, but you can’t concede 90 points at home. It’s undeniable. We conceded too many rebounds, they jumped on our heads. When you step on the court you should always do it with decision, you can shoot badly but they can’t dunk on you like it happened tonight. It’s a relevant fact, since these situations keep on happening constantly. I took the responsibility of making several players rest, I thought we could have brought the game home with the ones available today. A necessary choice, but an evaluation mistake which I will try not to repeat in the future, it’s my bad. The feeling, seeing our and their two-point shooting percentages, is that we feel a little bit disorientated, but I can’t explain to myself the reason why. Today it was the right occasion for many to make themselves appear and play more, there are many problems that we surely solve and work on,” experienced Italian tactician said at the press conference.
Milano got defeated for the third time in the last four games in both competitions, and will try to bounce back agains Monaco at home in EuroLeague Round 6 match (02/11).