By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
Olimpia Milano entered EuroLeague Round 12 on a four-game winning streak, while Hapoel Tel Aviv was looking to bounce back after its loss to Fenerbahçe.
Despite that, Dimitris Itoudis’ team delivered a commanding performance at the Unipol Forum, improving to 9–3 and staying at the top of the EuroLeague standings with a convincing 83-105 win.
Antonio Blakeney and Dan Oturu led Hapoel with 20 points apiece, with Oturu also adding seven rebounds. Elijah Bryant contributed 18 points, six rebounds, and four assists in another all-around effort, while Jonathan Motley followed with 17 points.
Vasilije Micić scored 13 points and dished five assists, and Chris Jones was close to a double-double with eight points and 10 assists, as Hapoel cruised past Milano despite Tai Odiase being sidelined just before tip-off.
On the other side, injury-stricken Olimpia—missing key players such as Devin Booker, Josh Nebo, Nate Sestina, and Lorenzo Brown—was led by Leandro Bolmaro wasn’t even sure to play, but he ended up leading the team with 16 points. Quinn Ellis added 15 points and six assists. Armoni Brooks scored 12, while Zach LeDay returned to action after the injury that kept him out of last week’s double-round and finished with 11 points.
After an even first quarter, the hosts stayed close until halftime, trailing just 45–49. But Hapoel pulled away in the third, taking the period 27–19 and opening up a double-digit lead. Olimpia Milano couldn’t respond in the final quarter, as the Tel Aviv side pushed the gap to 105–78 and ultimately sealed a lopsided victory.
It’s also worth noting that Milano struggled from three-point range, hitting just 5/24, and lost the battle on the glass—finishing with 27 rebounds compared to Hapoel’s 37.