Out of the Champions League head-on. With a sensational second half, Sassari violated the Malaga field as only Real Madrid had managed to do: the score for the Sassari 92-82. However, the feat is not enough because the French side of Dijon are overtaken by Paok Thessaloniki and therefore, with the same ranking, the Greeks make the positive balance weigh in the direct clashes.
The great performance of a roster shortened by the absences of Gentile (tonsillitis) and Treier (injury) remains: all six foreigners in double figures plus a really effective Raspino in defense in the many minutes played.
The chronicle - A burning start from Malaga, which was driven by Barreiro's triples and excellent ball circulation, making it 15-4 after 4' which forced Bucchi to call time out. Barreiro is too much for Jones and Banco has no danger inside the area: -15 in the 7th minute. Raspino enters for a dull Bendzius, the Sassari team shakes and goes back up with a mini break from 7-0 to then close at -7 with a triple by Dowe on the first quarter siren.
Bendzius warmed his hand on his return, but the game is too poor to worry Unicaja: 45-30 in the 15th minute. From the line Jones and Kruslin gnaw something before the interval: 50-39.
It's always the Croatian and the American who lead the comeback when they return to the parquet. Jones even scores 7 points in a row and catches up with the hosts: 60-60 in the 26th minute.
However, the final is Spanish and it's a new Andalusian advantage: 70-63.
In the last quarter Dowe becomes the leader in the two halves and takes Robinson with him: Sassari puts his head forward for the first time (70-72 in the 32nd minute). Stephens also gains altitude and Banco tries to escape: +6 with just over two minutes to go. The exclamation point puts it Bendzius with a bomb.
The tables
Malaga : Osetkovski 4 Ejim 2 Kalinoski 4 Lima 4 Barreiro 11 Brizuela 9 Carter 14 Thomas 8 Kravish 12 Perry 6 Dedovic 8 Saint-Supery ne. All. Navarro.
Sassari : Jones 21 Robinson 17 Dowe 12 Kruslin 15 Gandini ne, Devecchi ne, Chessa, Stephens 13 Bendzius 14 Diop, Raspino. Herds Bucchi.