The 2015 Lega Basket Serie A Finals was the championship series of the 2014âÂÂ15 Lega Basket Serie A, the highest professional basketball league in Italy. It was played between Grissin Bon Reggio Emilia and Banco di Sardegna Sassari, from June 14 to 26, 2015.
The Finals was played as a best-of-seven series with regular season third seed Reggio Emilia possessing home advantage (with the first two, the fifth and the seventh games at the PalaBigi) over fifth seeded Sassari.
In the first game of the series, Reggio Emilia comfortably dispatched Sassari. A 16âÂÂ2 run for the hosts in the second quarter helped them go to half-time 52âÂÂ32 up, a lead they preserved for the rest of the game. Achille Polonara led the side with 18 points to which he added 12 rebounds, Rakim Sanders scored 19 with 7 rebounds for Sassari.
Reggio Emilia cruised to another home win in the second game. Helped by 5 points from Rimantas KaukÃÂnas (14 points and 5 assists overall) they accrued an early 15âÂÂ6 lead and never conceded the initiative, coasting to a 47âÂÂ36 half-time lead. A strong start to the third quarter increased the team's lead, which reached 20 midway through the quarter and proved a comfortable enough cushion. Polonora again led his team in scoring with a game-best 20 points, complemented by 15 points and 8 assists from Andrea Cinciarini whilst Jeff Brooks paced Sassari with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
KaukÃÂnas again drove Reggio Emilia into an 11âÂÂ5 early lead but Sassari came back to retake the lead and then extend it to 36âÂÂ25 in the second quarter before two Vitalis Chikoko reduced it to 43âÂÂ37 at the break. Reggio Emilia scored 16 points unanswered points to start the third quarter, including 3 three-pointers from Amedeo Della Valle, whilst Sassari only had 4 points during the whole quarter. David Logan scored 5 three-pointers in the fourth quarter (7-for-12 from three in the game) to help Sassari tie the game at 66âÂÂ66 with 2:20 remaining, before Jerome Dyson's tough jumper put them 6 points ahead with 49 seconds left as they earned their first win of the series. Logan top scored with 25 points, Dyson added 16 points and 8 rebounds whilst Della Valle led Reggio Emilia with 18 points.
Sassari dominated the game, with Polonara giving Reggio Emilia its only regulation lead of 21âÂÂ20 in the opening quarter, retaking then increasing their lead with an 8âÂÂ0 run early in the second quarter that took the game to 48âÂÂ36 at half-time, thanks to 9 triples that included a four-point play by ÃÂdgar Sosa. The lead broke the 20-point barrier during the third quarter thanks to a 10âÂÂ0 run, Polonara and Cinciarini's efforts kept Reggio Emilia in the game but the margin remained as Dyson scored a three to make the score 66âÂÂ46. The visitors clawed their way back thanks to a 3âÂÂ2 zone defense that started an 8âÂÂ0 run, before OjÃÂrs Silià Âà ¡ reduced the gap to below 10 points, then 78âÂÂ75 with 2:13 to go. Dyson and Silià Âà ¡ trade points at the death to send the game to overtime. The teams each led during overtime, but Dyson led Sassari with a couple of threes to a 90âÂÂ86 lead and the contest ended when Darjuà ¡ Lavrinoviàcommitted an unsportsmanlike foul with 8 seconds to go as the hosts scored the ensuing free-throw to tie the series 2âÂÂ2. Dyson contributed a game-best 28 points (5-for-10 from three) and 7 assists, Shane Lawal helped Sassari dominate the boards (24 offensive rebounds to 17 thanks to Reggio Emilia's late run) with 14 rebounds and 3 blocks in addition to 10 points, Sanders had 18 before leaving the game due to an ankle injury, for the losers, Lavrinoviàhad 20 points and Silià Âà ¡ 17.
Silià Âà ¡ and Della Valle pushed Reggio Emilia to a 12âÂÂ0 run between the first and second quarters to put the team 27âÂÂ15 up, but the lead was reduced to 38âÂÂ31 at half-time and Sassari continued a 13âÂÂ0 run into the third quarter to take a 39âÂÂ38 lead. Reggio Emilia retook a meagre 52âÂÂ51 lead into the fourth quarter before Lawal and Polonara traded points for a 55âÂÂ55 tie. An 11âÂÂ2 run by Reggio Emilia helped the side extend their lead to 63âÂÂ57 but Sosa and Sanders scored from long distance to reduce it to two points. Dyson was called for an offensive foul in the dying seconds and Cinciarini scored from the line to end the game with a home win. Silià Âà ¡ led the winners with 14 points, Polonara following with 13 points and 10 rebounds whilst KaukÃÂnas and Della Valle had 10 points apiece, Sanders game-leading 19 points and Lawal's 17 points and 21 rebounds were in vain.
The sixth game of the series needed three overtimes to separate the sides. Sassari scored the first 4 points of the game on the way to a first quarter 24âÂÂ20 lead, Reggio Emilia responded in the second quarter and took a 6-point lead on a Della Valle three, with the first half ending in a 43âÂÂ43 tie. The teams exchanged leads in the third quarter and Reggio Emilia held a single point lead coming into the last quarter in regulation time, the game was tied with 90 seconds before Dyson converted a steal for a 78âÂÂ76 Sassari lead that Polonara next tied, Cinciarini missed a game-winning shot at the death and the series went to overtime. The game remained close in the extra period, until Polonara three's and KaukÃÂnas' converted steal put Reggio Emilia 5 ahead, Logan responded from downtown and Dyson then dunked with 2.5 left to force a second overtime. Sassari scored the first 5 points of the period but the momentum stopped when Lawal fouled out with an unsportsmanlike foul, with six successive points putting Reggio Emilia in front before Dyson split free-throws to tied the game, Cinciarini had another occasion to close the game but was again unlucky as the game went to a third overtime. Sassari took control of the period with a Logan triple and baskets from Dyson that made it 109âÂÂ102 with 1:50, with proved enough to earn the win that sent the series to a decisive game 7. Dyson led all scorers with 26 points, adding 7 rebounds and 9 assists, Logan totaled 23 points and Lawal posted 25 points and 16 rebounds, Della Valle's 25 points on 6-of-9 three-point shooting were not enough, as were KaukÃÂnas' 20 points and Cinciarini's 12 points and 8 assists.
Playing at home for the chance to win the title, Reggio Emilia romped to an early 21âÂÂ4 lead on the back of six points from both Cinciarini and Polonara, Sassari started a comeback in the second quarter and Logan's layup took them within three points with around two minutes left in the half, with the scores locked at 32âÂÂ26 at the close. Two three-pointers by respectively Brooks and Dyson early in the third quarter brought the scores to 34âÂÂ32, Sosa was called for a foul on Polonara late in the quarter and then received a technical foul call, with the hosts lead moving up to 10 points, reduced to 55âÂÂ48 by Sander's points by the end of the quarter. Two threes by Logan then helped Sassari tie the game but Riccardo Cervi scored twice on the way to putting Reggio Emilia in front by 8 points. Logan then had another three with four minutes to go to tie the game as Sassari held their opponents scoreless for four minutes with a 12âÂÂ0 run. KaukÃÂnas and Drake Diener helped Reggio Emilia back in the game, but Dyson scored two free-throws to take the lead to as much points, as Diener shot an airball on the last possession to kickstart Sassari's title celebrations. Finals MVP Sanders had 18 points for the new-champions, with Dyson contributing 17 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists and Logan 13 points. Polonara had 17 points in a losing effort, with 14 and 13 more for Diener and KaukÃÂnas respectively.
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