Neno Dimitrijevic erupted for 22 points to lead the home side
Milan downs Real, 85-76, for second straight win
EA7 Emporio Armani Milan grabbed a second straight win by downing Real Madrid, 85-76, to leave the Spanish team winless on the road. Both teams now have 3-5 records.
Milan took control with a 19-4 run to bridge the first and second quarters, and was up 47-40 at halftime. A 9-0 run to start the final quarter left Real reeling, and the hosts cruised home. Neno Dimitrijevic led the way with 22 points, while Zach LeDay provided 17 points plus 8 rebounds and Nico Mannion marked his debut with 11 points and 5 assists. Serge Ibaka and Mario Hezonja paced Real with 13 points apiece, and Walter Tavares had 10 points and 9 rebounds.
Game Videos
Alberto Abalde scored from both close and long-range in the early going, with Leandro Bolmaro’s midrange jumper Milan’s only basket in the first 5 minutes. Bolmaro then hit a corner three for a 7-7 tie, before Gabriel Deck and Dimitrijevic traded inside scores. Sergio Llull struck from deep, but Bolmaro stayed hot and Dimitrijevic hit a triple for a 14-12 Milan lead. Fabien Causeur took over with a three and a fastbreak layup, and Armoni Brooks also added a three before Mannion scored on the first quarter’s last possession to make it 24-16.
LeDay made it a double-digit margin to start the second, before Hezonja and Causeur scored inside. Brooks scored his second three and LeDay added a jumper for a 33-18 lead before Hezonja rescued Real from deep and Eli Ndiaye scored in transition. Free throws completed a 0-9 run, but Dimitrijevic replied with a pair of triples for another double-digit lead, 39-29. Ibaka’s dunk and Xavier Rathan-Mayes’s triple made it closer, but Dimitrijevic replied with a floater for a 47-40 halftime lead.
Tavares started the second half with a dunk, and Rathan-Mayes added a triple to make it 47-45. Mirotic and LeDay got Milan moving from the foul line, before Hezonja and Tavares dunked to make it 53-49. Dimitrijevic rescued Milan with five fast points before Ibaka’s two close-range scores and Mannion’s layup ended a low-scoring third quarter 62-55.
LeDay’s three-pointer gave Milan breathing room with the final quarter’s opening score, and he then added an identical strike to make it 69-55. Brooks’ layup completed an 11-0 burst before Ibaka continued leading Real’s resistance with a triple. Mirotic’s fastbreak layup and another LeDay three made it 78-58, and two more Mannion baskets made the outcome a foregone conclusion long before the final buzzer despite a late Real flurry.