Shabazz Napier was unstoppable offensively and led Armani Milano past Fenerbahce (75-82) in a rescheduled Round 24 game in the EuroLeague due to the tragic earthquake in Turkiye and Syria.
The American scoring guard led all scorers with 26 points (11 in the third quarter, 9/13 shooting) for a PIR of 26, while Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot added 19 for the winners, on 6/12 shooting.
On the contrary, Johnathan Motley posted a team-high 22 points and nine rebounds for the Turkish powerhouse, while Marko Guduric and Carsen Edwards had 19 and 16 points, respectively.
“It was a team effort. In the first half, I didn’t want to be too aggressive. I was telling the coach and the team that I just wanted to see the defense they were playing.
In the second half, I decided I was going to be a little more aggressive and I was just fortunate enough to make some shots and my teammates were able to find me in good spots, but it was definitely a team effort today,” Shabazz Napier said afterwards.
Armani Milano were in control from start to finish and never trailed in the contest. After a hard-fought battle in the first half (35-37), the Italians started the third quarter on a 12-24 run and led by as many as 14 points (47-61).
The hosts attempted a late comeback, cut the deficit to four (72-76, 75-79), but Billy Baron scored six straight points and sealed the deal for the Italians, who claimed a crucial road win and split the season series (1-1). Armani has now won seven of its last eight.
Shabazz Napier and Armani Milano improved to 13-16 in the standings, just two wins away from the final playoff spot, with five games to go for the regular season finale. On the other hand, Fenerbahce fell to 17-12 and is two wins away from Barcelona and Monaco, who are third and fourth, respectively, in the battle for the home-court advantage (19-10).
The two powerhouses will return to action later in the week, with Fenerbahce hosting Zalgiris Kaunas and Armani Milano facing Bayern Munich. Both Round 30 games will be played on Friday, March 24.
