It's the championship semi-final like last year. In front of the fiery audience of the PalaSerradimigni, the Sassari team beat Venice 87-83 and reached Milan for the umpteenth challenge.
A truly playoff game played with nerves and competitive spirit in a rough second half where Reyer attempted a comeback reaching up to -2 with the ball in hand but Granger who had made the comeback by himself missed the triple of victory.
Curva C paid homage to Captain Devecchi with a beautiful choreography.
For Massimo Chessa 400 matches in the Dinamo jersey.
Venice tries the small escape twice, but Kruslin scores threes each time and the fourth is worth 16-13 in the 6th minute. The host defense is tougher than the other matches, on the siren of the fourth Granger slips the triple of the overtaking: 24-25.
Diop scores 4 points (despite the fouls not called) and also stops Watt for +3 in the 13th minute. The Sassari defense doubles and steals balls, Treier places two bombs for the maximum advantage: 34-25 in the 14th minute.
Reyer increases pressure and pushes, Diop often goes to the line, like his teammates: +14 and the gap would be wider without some wrong free throws.
In the third quarter angular defenses. The first to break free in attack is Kruslin with the fifth triple, which is worth +15 in the 22nd minute.
It's the former and Sassari Spissu with Watt who tries to shake Venice with the entrances: 50-43 in the 26th minute. The oddity is that Sassari has 6 fouls and Venice only one. Granger's triple closes the gap: 56-49 in the 28th minute. And the last partial sees the biancoblù ahead by only 7 lengths.
In the last quarter the confusion continues on the pitch: Tessitori (another ex) makes two triples and is 68-63 in the 34th minute. Dowe's triple with a free throw lets Dinamo breathe. Venice loses the two Tessitori and Watt centers due to fouls, but Dowe also leaves shortly after.
Go into super Granger mode who always scores from three and from two, except for the last shot that could give the "beautiful" in Venice.
The tables
Banco di Sardegna Sassari: Jones 2 Robinson 6 Dowe 15 Kruslin 22 Devecchi ne, Treier 11 Chessa ne, Stephens 5 Bendzius, Gentile 7 Raspino, Diop 19 All. Bucchi.
Umana Reyer Venice: Spissu 14 Tessitori 6 Parks 10 Bramos 3 Moraschini, De Nicolao, Granger 30 Chillo ne, Brooks 2 Willis 7 Watt 3 Mokoka 8 All. Spahija.