AX Armani Exchange Milan recorded its second victory in two games by downing still winless LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne 87-73 at home on Friday.
Milan dominates ASVEL to get first home win
Game Report
1 min read
AX Armani Exchange Milan recorded its second victory in two games by downing still winless LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne 87-73 at home on Friday. Shavon Shields led the winners with 17 points. Sergio Rodriguez added 13 while Zach LeDay and Riccardo Moraschini each had 10 for Milan. Amine Noua led ASVEL with 12 points while Norris Cole and Moustapha Fall both scored 10. Milan led 45-40 at halftime, extended its margin to 61-54 after 30 minutes and then again to 73-59 soon after that to seal the outcome.
Regular Season
Round 2 of 34
Group Regular Season
w
w
l
l
Kyle Hines got Milan going with a jumper but Cole and Rihards Lomazs soon gave ASVEL a 2-6 lead. Hines kept pacing the hosts but Noua hit a jump hook and Cole added a coast-to-coast layup for a 6-11 score. Michael Roll and Rodriguez struck from downtown but David Lighty kept ASVEL in charge. LeDay and Kaleb Tarczewski fueled a 7-0 run highlighted by Moraschini's three-point play which allowed the hosts to get a 20-17 lead after 10 minutes. Ismael Bako dunked early in the second quarter but Rodriguez struck from beyond the arc, igniting a 9-0 run which Hines capped with a big basket for a double-digit lead, 29-19. Malcolm Delaney found his first points and assisted Luigi Datome for a three-pointer that boosted the hosts' margin to 34-22. Fall and Noua stepped up for ASVEL, then Antoine Diot and William Howard each buried a three-pointer. ASVEL stayed strong behind Noua's play inside, but LeDay and Rodriguez keep the hosts ahead, 45-40, at halftime.
Hines buried a jumper soon after the break but Noua and Cole brought ASVEL as close as 47-45. Delaney stepped up with 5 quick points, igniting a 10-0 run that Shields capped with a three-pointer, 57-45. Cole and Delaney traded driving layups, then Guerschon Yabusele dunked. Moraschini scored in penetration but Lighty and Diot kept ASVEL within 61-54 after 30 minutes. Yabusele followed a three-pointer with a driving layup early in the fourth quarter but LeDay and Datome kept Milan way ahead, 68-59. Shields kept pacing the hosts with a put-back basket and Rodriguez added a three-pointer that broke the game open, 73-59, after a 10-0 run. Shields put the exclamation mark with a fast break slam and even though ASVEL kept trying, Milan cruised to a well-deserved win.
Game Leaders
Pivotal performer
Shavon Shields hit the game-winner in Round 1 and had a great all-round performance in this game, showing he will have a crucial role for Coach Ettore Messina going forward. He finished with 17 points, 7 rebounds, a block and 4 fouls drawn for a game-high PIR of 19.
Game-changing moment
Guerschon Yabusele managed to keep ASVEL within 63-59 early in the fourth quarter. But Milan then found a go-to guy in Luigi Datome, who scored the opening 5 points of a 10-0 run that sealed the outcome.
Stellar stats
Milan finished the game with 17 assists and just 11 turnovers. On the other hand, ASVEL had more turnovers, 17, than assists, 11. Milan also crashed the offensive glass better, finishing with 13 offensive rebounds and only allowing ASVEL to get 7.
Did you notice?
Milan won all four quarters: 20-17, 25-23, 16-14, 26-19. Before this game, the Italian team hadn’t done that at all in the last three seasons. The last time Milan won all four quarters in a EuroLeague game was against Anadolu Efes Istanbul (25-24, 30-25, 24-18, 26-25) in a 105-92 victory on November 10, 2016.