Hot Mirotic and dime-dropping Mannion: How Milano got their groove back

The Italian side has gone up a gear in recent weeks to get its season back on track

After the home loss to Anadolu Efes Istanbul in Round 5, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan coach Ettore Messina had some harsh criticism for the way his team played in some parts of the game.

“The first half was honestly a shame. The lack of competitiveness and the lack of effort in doing things together was really hard to watch,” Messina said. He had just watched his players losing by as many as 22 points and, ultimately, failing to complete a comeback.

That was Milano’s second straight loss at the Forum. One week before, Zalgiris Kaunas had handed them a defeat after pulling off the second-biggest turnaround in EuroLeague history by coming back from down 27 points.

“We need to go back to the gym, close the door and work as hard as we can. [To] understand if there is a way to get this back,” Messina commented.

The plight of Milano continued on the road against Baskonia, where the Italian powerhouse suffered its fifth loss in the first six games. They were in danger of falling way behind the pack, while a heavy shadow of doubt was looming over the Forum, considering that the team is coming from a two-year playoff drought.

Messina got his players in the gym and not only shut the doors, but also kind of outside noise. Their labor bore fruit and Milano turned its 1-5 losing record literally upside down with five wins over the next six games.