Nicolo Melli is back for the Italian playoffs' final stretch / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: Simone Lucarelli/LPS via ZUMA Press Wire Credit Simone Lucarelli/LPS via ZUMA Press Wire

On the eve of the first playoff semifinal game against Dinamo Sassari, AX Armani Exchange Milan received some encouraging news.

Nicolo Melli

Team:AX Armani Exchange MilanPosition:PFAge:31Height:205 cmWeight:100 kgBirth place:Reggio Emilia, ItalyProfileNewsStatistics

Team captain Nicolo Melli will be available for Game 1, scheduled for Saturday (7 pm CET) at the Mediolanum Forum. Melli got injured during Game 1 of the EuroLeague playoffs, in the final seconds of the match against Anadolu Efes. The Italan forward has had three practices with the rest of the squad so far.

Armani Milan play their eighth consecutive semifinal, fifth against Sassari. The first two outings will be held in Milan, before moving to Sardinia. The two teams have played each other three times this season, with the EuroLeague side prevailing in the league game and in the Cup quarter-final in Pesaro.

"A series of great tradition awaits us, in which we face a team and a club that have the right mentality, so we know it will be a difficult semi-final in which to impose ourselves we will have play at a very high level both on both ends," coach Ettore Messina commented.

"We have the possibility of getting Nicolo Melli back, albeit with a severely limited time, and this is great news for us," the experienced coach noted.

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