Italy – Basket Serie A, Round 14
Varese-Reggiana 29/12/23, CET 8:30 PM
Immediate Mannion effect: the playmaker signs with Varese on the eve of the trip to Pesaro, plays right away, scores 26 points, and leads the red and whites to victory after over a month. Now he awaits his home debut, facing a Reggiana in good form (3 wins in the last 4) and on the brink of qualifying for the Final Eight. In the visitors' team, in addition to the usual Galloway, Hervey is growing, and the deep bench proves to be a factor. On paper, Varese is sucked into the relegation battle, but Mannion has rekindled enthusiasm and the team's offensive potential. The outcome is uncertain, in a game with over 160 total points.
Cremona-Brindisi 30/12/23, CET 4:00 PM
Home team coming off a clear defeat at the Forum and in search of points to secure the last spot in the Italian Cup. The moment is not the best (2 wins in the last 5), but the stakes are high, and Cremona had a brilliant first half as a newly promoted team. On the other hand, drama for Brindisi: last Saturday against Scafati, the Apulians had the game in hand (+20 with 3' left) and yet threw it away in overtime. A basketball suicide that will be difficult to recover from: the team remains last, two wins away from second to last, and has always lost away from home this season. The script suggests a home victory, not necessarily with a margin exceeding 5-10 points but dictated by the fragile mental condition of the visitors.
Brescia-Milan 30/12/23, CET 5:00 PM
The stalled attack in the second half cost Brescia the sole first place in a direct clash in Venice (86-71). No drama: Magro's boys' path (record 10-3) remains stellar. Milan, on the other hand, has resumed its winning streak (5 wins in the last 6) and aims to approach the halfway point with momentum - the current fifth position is unacceptable for a team like Olimpia. In Leonessa, the spotlight always falls on Della Valle's playmaking. The guests have welcomed back Shabazz Napier, immediately impactful (16 points against Cremona). A balanced game, around 160 total points, with both teams capable of making the decisive run in the fourth quarter.
Naples-Tortona 30/12/23, CET 6:30 PM
Crisis for both teams at PalaBarbuto. The defeat in Trento (101-94) is the fourth in a row for Naples, now also at risk for the Italian Cup. The new addition from the market is Markell Brown, presented during the week and last year at Varese. Will he be enough to give a boost? A dark moment also for Tortona, with the club deciding to fire Marco Ramondino after 5 extraordinary seasons: in his place, the former Venice coach Walter De Raffaele. The technical gap between the two teams is less than in the standings (7 wins to 5 in favor of Naples), and the Piedmontese have a lot of untapped potential, with the impact of the new coach being felt immediately. Especially from beyond the arc, with a tenacious defense on the other side of the court. An away victory is an intriguing option.
Sassari-Venice 30/12/23, CET 7:30 PM
Vertical collapse in the last quarter, and Sassari loses the sixth away game out of 6 in the championship at Reggio Emilia. An oscillating team, dealing with a complicated start to the season but has turned the PalaSerradimigni into a fortress - a streak of 4 consecutive victories. And in Sardinia, an experienced playmaker like Brandon Jefferson has just arrived. On the other side is a Reyer increasingly two-faced: losing during the week in Badalona, the gold and orange have essentially sacrificed the Eurocup to focus on Serie A. Where Tucker and company, after the show of strength in the direct clash (86-71), have caught up with Brescia in first place. The puzzle under the basket is finally solved: former NBA player Mfiondu Kabengele has been signed to support Tessitori. The away win is an option that intrigues, with a total of around 160 points. And now a classic in Italian basketball: Sassari at home has beaten Venice 9 times in the last 10. A tenth win could even come, but a margin exceeding 10 points (in either direction) would be a surprise.
Scafati-Trento 30/12/23, CET 8:00 PM
One thing is certain: the comeback against Brindisi (from 85-64 to 98-103) will go down in club history. And it shows that Scafati is a team that never gives up, especially when the ageless talent of David Logan ignites. Coach Boniciolli can look confidently to the future and plays for the eighth spot at the halfway point without pressure. On the other side, Aquila Trento soars, increasingly a protagonist in this championship: the high-paced success against Naples (101-94) is the 9th out of 13 games. Grazulis is the technical leader of a well-constructed roster, without weaknesses, capable of winning even away from home. Both the lightness of the moment and the offensive traction of both teams suggest a high-scoring match (170 or more total points), where the common script will be to score one more basket than the opponent - rather than concede one less.
Treviso-Pistoia 30/12/23, CET 8:30 PM
Biancazzurro's coup also in Tortona (68-82), and Vitucci's men secure the fourth consecutive victory (after a start with 9 defeats in 9). A turbocharged comeback, determined by the excellent addition of Olisevicius but in which the whole team has finally started to click. Pistoia arrives at Palaverde on a downturn, coming off 2 consecutive losses (Pesaro and Bologna) after the series of exploits signed by the Moore-Willis duo. Having come this far, it would be a shame for the Tuscans to miss the access to the Final Eight. An uncertain outcome, with Treviso being favored if they continue the excellent defensive work (4 games in a row conceding less than 80 points). And Pistoia, as we know, depends on the usual two.
Virtus Bologna-Pesaro 30/12/23, CET 9:00 PM
Mission first place for the Black V's: having defeated Pistoia (70-91), they need to return to winning at home after the slip against Venice. An ideal challenge on paper, against a Pesaro inferior in every department and coming off uncertainties from the home defeat against Varese (81-88): at the moment, Libertas' goal must be survival. It's difficult to see it passing for an upset in Bologna. The script calls for a wide home victory (by more than 10 points), especially if, along with the tireless Belinelli, a top-notch supporting cast makes itself felt. Already in Europe, let alone in Italy.