Ettore Messina's men used a historical run to break the game open
Milan set a stunning record on an emotional night in Barcelona
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3 Lesezeit
Regular Season
Round 15 of 34
Group Regular Season
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Friday night was a special occasion for EA7 Emporio Armani Milan star forward Nikola Mirotic, who received a standing ovation before and after the game as hundreds of FC Barcelona fans remain in their seats to chant his name way after the final buzzer sounded.
Mirotic's special homecoming was the perfect ending to a truly unusual game, with Milan downing Barca 81-94 and some hard-to-beat records being made here and there.
Zach LeDay stole the show with an outstanding individual performance, hitting 6-of-10 two-pointers, 4-of-4 three-pointers and 9-of-9 free throws for a career-high 33 points, 23 of those coming in the second half. He had previously reached 29 points with Olympiacos Piraeus against Buducnost VOLI Pogdorica on November 30, 2018.
His 33 points are also the fourth-best scoring mark for a Milan player in competition history. Samardo Samuels holds Milan's scoring record with 36 points in a 76-85 road win against Nizhny Novgorod on February 26, 2015. Mike James (35 points) and Shavon Shields (34) are also ahead of him.
After the game, LeDay revealed a special motivation for this particular game.
"My dad was just with me tonight. The last time I was in this arena. I had to leave and go bury, so my dad was with me tonight," LeDay told EuroLeague TV afterward. "It was just a crazy game, I am just glad we were able to get the win. I was able to help my teammates, and my teammates helped me.
"Like I said, this is my dad was with me tonight, just going out there hooping, just playing, being a dog on both ends, just bringing everything to help my team. My teammates help me. I'm just grateful for the win, grateful I was able to help the team."
Of course, Mirotic delivered in his first game at Palau Blaugrana since leaving the club two seasons ago. He had 19 points, 7 rebounds and 5 fouls drawn for a PIR of 26. At the end of the game, Mirotic thanked Barca's fans for showing that much appreciation before and after the game.
"No doubt, it was a very, very emotional game for me. As you know, coming here after almost two years meant a lot, to be honest," Mirotic said.
"And especially seeing these people in the crowd cheering my name at the end and before the game. It means a lot to me that the four years I was here, I did something important for them and that they are happy about it. So for me, this is very special."
There is more, however. Milan cemented its win with a 0-20 run at the end of the third quarter. LeDay, Neno Dimitrijevic and Leo Bolmaro combined for 16 points that gave Milan the lead for good, 60-76. Until that moment, the game had been a back-and-forth battle.
That is the biggest run by any team on the road against Barca. Virtus Roma and Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz were tied for the previous record, each with a 0-18 run in 2008 and 2014, respectively. Moreover, Milan had never gone on a 0-20 run on the road in EuroLeague history. Its biggest run was 0-17 in an 85-86 road win against Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv on November 26, 2020.
"We are growing. Today, I think we faced a major challenge against a team who was very good. But in this EuroLeague, every game is a huge challenge, so we celebrate today and then we try to keep working" Milan head coach Ettore Messina said.
"The good thing, as you say, is that we are growing and every day we make a little step forward in terms of understanding the game, reading the game. The defense was much better in the second half, so I am really happy for my players."