We may be bidding goodbye to another year in 2018 tonight and while others may let it pass by without much pomp or circumstance, Sidigas Avellino of the Italian Serie A decided to end the it with a “Bang!”
In Round 13 of the 2018-19 regular season, a last-minute miracle happened in Avellino. They came in defending their homecourt as heavy underdogs against the previously undefeated Titans of Italian hoops, AX Armani Exchange Milano. On December 30th, they managed to see off 2018 on a high note as they upset the Milanese franchise 85-81 in what was arguably the most important game. Despite the humbling loss and the bitter end to their glorious win streak, Armani Milano stands tall and holds onto their league leadership position (12-1). For Avellino, the win mattered. A lot. Not only was it a huge morale-boosting success, but it also kept them in a four-way tie for second place in the standings with a 9-4 record. Umana Venezia, Openjobmetis Varese and Vanoli Cremona all sport the same slates and occupy the second, third and fourth places in the Serie A league standings, respectively. While Armani Milano maybe sitting comfortably with their three-game lead, the four-way tie adds that much extra pressure for the teams jockeying for position and the hopes of preserving their playoff berths.
Caleb Green had a well-rounded game to pace Avellino with 18 points, five rebounds and five assists. Avellino’s 26-to-14 assist advantage over Armani told the tale of their success. Their good ball movement allowed them to defeat their formidable guests. The hero of the game for Avellino would end up being Keifer Sykes, who exploded for a game-high 31 points with seven assists.
Armani’s go-to player, Mike James was limited to scoring just 14 points in this outing and the defensive pressure on him was evident in the five turnovers he recorded. Thankfully, Arturas Gudaitis dropped a double-double for Armani with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Outside of those two though, the rest of their starters could not get it going that night.
For now, Armani looks on to 2019 with hope and renewed confidence that their hard work and success early in the preseason will truly carryover into what should be another Italian Serie A title in 2019.
