Friday night upset: Milan still looks for chemistry as ALBA got their way / News - Basketnews.com

ALBA Berlin made an upset of the week by beating Milan on the road in overtime. The German side imposed its fast-paced style of basketball, while Olimpia Milan is still looking for a way to find the right chemistry.

Credit: ZUMAPRESS.com - Scanpix Credit ZUMAPRESS.com - Scanpix

On a Friday night, ALBA Berlin made the biggest upset of the EuroLeague round by beating Olimpia Milan on the road in overtime.

Player of the Game EFF 18 Tamir Blatt Points 13 Accuracy 4-11 Rebounds 5 Assists 9

The team coached by Israel Gonzalez once again showed most of the good elements we had already witnessed in their first win against Partizan Belgrade. Still, they made even more noise this time by defeating one of the biggest candidates to reach the EuroLeague Final Four this season.

On the other hand, Milan started the game with a lack of intensity and very low defensive awareness. The team allowed 26 points in the first quarter alone and trailed by 17 in the second quarter.

It's clear how the Italian team is still trying to find the right chemistry between all the new additions made during the offseason. Despite the early season issues, Milan bounced back again in the second half.

Kevin Pangos showed up in the final quarter, making three 3-pointers in a row, while Nicolò Melli also had the chance to win the game at the buzzer but missed the shot from the corner.

However, in the overtime, Milan's offense got stuck again, scoring only 4 points, and ALBA walked away with a big-time win.

Tamir Blatt's show

The Israeli point guard was one of the main heroes of the night for the German side. Blatt pushed the tempo and found his teammates with great precision for the entire game. He damaged Milan's defense while exploiting pick & roll situations at the best he could.

Coach David Blatt's son finished the game with 13 points, 9 assists, and 5 rebounds. He also made two very important 3-pointers at the end of the overtime, sealing ALBA Berlin's win.

After Jaleen Smith was forced to leave the game with an injury, Blatt took control of ALBA's offense and executed at a really high level. Now in his second season with the German side, Blatt is proving that he belongs to this level, and he's gaining even more confidence.

Free throws this season

81%13,0Points made:13,0Accuracy:81,3%Place in standings:8Record max:15Record min:11Most made FTs:Johannes ThiemannTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

The Israeli point guard is still only 25 years old, and his performance against Milan is another sign that his value to the team is constantly increasing.

The ALBA way

Coach Gonzalez's side is a joy to watch for every basketball enthusiast. Offensively, they try constantly to push the tempo, and their ball movement is often extremely efficient. They don't have a clear 'star' on their roster; there's no ball hogger, so the game flows beautifully.

Of course, playing at a fast pace for most of the game often leads to turnovers, but that's a price the German team is ready to pay.

Except for Malte Delow, Gonzalez used all the other 11 players available (Maodo Lo didn't play to an injury, as the coach explained after the game). Everyone is involved and ready to give their contribution, even if it's a small one.

Christ Koumadje started the game well and forced several Milan turnovers. In the second half of the game, Gonzalez used Wetzell more, who played a solid game and finished with 10 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 steals, forming an interesting frontcourt combination with Sikma and Olinde.

Italian rookie Gabriele Procida proved his talent again and added 8 points and 1 steal in 20 minutes on the court. After the game, coach Gonzalez praised his players' approach because they stayed in the game mentally, despite Milan's comeback.

"The most important thing is that we really played like a team," coach Gonzalez said in the post-game press conference. "We shared the roles, the effort, we showed today the chemistry that we have as a team, and that makes me very proud of coaching this group of guys."

Olimpia Milan is still trying to find a good team chemistry

What transpired from Milan's defeat is that most newcomers still need time to adjust to the new system.

Brandon Davies played a really poor game against ALBA, finishing with 6 points. Defensively he often looked lost, especially when he needed to bring the right type of help in pick & roll situations.

Pangos, despite the 16 points scored and the offensive boost that he provided in the final quarter, is still far away from being in his best physical condition. DeShaun Thomas played only 4 minutes, while Voigtmann, who finished with 5 points and 9 assists, was also having trouble in the defensive pairing.

The return of Shavon Shields, of course, represented a big boost for coach Messina's team. The American/Danish forward finished the game with 15 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals but shot only 1/7 from deep and forced a bit too much in some offensive plays down the stretch.

After the game, coach Messina looked pretty nervous in the post-game interview with EuroLeague TV, in which he answered:

"Listen, we lost in the overtime. What do you want me to tell?"

During the press conference, the Italian coach looked more reflexive and tried to explain that, at this moment, his team is still a bit tense.

"It seems to me that at the beginning of the games, we're a bit too tense, and I don't understand why," coach Messina told the reporters. "I think this is a moment in which we need to trust each other more, we were late in many situations. We need to enter the game more aggressively and be a bit more mean."

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