Nothing could be done. Dinamo, incomplete and with too many out-of-sync shooters, lost in Udine: 92-79. Pullen's late absence (flu) penalized a team that otherwise appeared intense only intermittently. Suffice it to say that Vincini was the best player in the first half with 11 points. Johnson's return only brought initial benefits, but the guard finished with 2-of-11 shots, a testament to his still precarious condition. Buie was the best player, forced to play for 35 minutes: he had 15 points and 7 assists. Alibegovic, for the home team, had a career-high 26 points and 6-of-9 three-pointers.
Report - The first quarter was evenly matched with Thomas and Vincini effective from mid-range, matched by former player Mekowulu. However, Udine scored a three-pointer, while Banco rallied from a 14-8 deficit in the sixth minute thanks only to the vitality of the returning Johnson. In the second quarter, Udine defended strongly, Dinamo continued to have cold hands from beyond the arc (2-of-9), and Vincini alone (11 points) wasn't enough to finish within 12.
The white-and-blues were significantly better after the break, with Thomas and McGlynn making it 53-48 at the 25th minute. However, Mekowulu was unleashed, as was Alibegoivic (6-of-9 from three), and the team was back within 12 at the 28th minute. At the start of the fourth quarter, Dinamo surged again with three-pointers from Beliauskas and Mezzanotte (73-69 at the 33rd minute), but former player Bendzius scored the first crucial basket, giving his team a break and dashing the Sassari team's hopes of a comeback.
