UDINE. Final, deserved, sweaty, wonderfully sweaty against almost unsinkable Scafati. Almost. The Apu Old Wild West writes a piece of history, wins 73-70 and goes to the final with Napoli. However it goes, it has had a troubled but wonderfully beautiful season. And if Sacripanti & co think they have already won, we fear they are very wrong.
Here is the game, no, here it is the battle. “Udine, Udine”, “all the Carnera”, Sector D sings back in the curve and the decibels are high and not only for the pre-match disco music, but also for the (hateful) Taliercio style trumpets in Mestre. The rumba of race 5 starts. Boniciolli proposes Mobio (good) in place of Deangeli, on the other side Finelli chooses the centimeters of Cervi.
The competitive spirit on the pitch is crazy, Udine in the first one misses even the “easy” shots crushed by the pressure. Gaines misses a triple, not two, Sergio scores, Palumbo as well, Apu instead scores zero out of eight from three: need to add more? In the parterre the deputy of Djordjevic, the new Italian champion with Virtus Goran Bjedov is anxious because he lives in Tricesimo and supports Apu, but sees Scafati running ahead after 10 ‘: 10-19. And it could have been worse.
Udine is fighting great, but he has to chase. And then the bells beat Johnson properly. Gentlemen referees, there is a regulation, contacts are whistled otherwise it is wrestling, and we would also write it in reverse. We need a breakthrough.
With Schina, 20, in the direction, a great defense, and once again an amazing captain Antonutti, the APU sets the pace taking everything else with it, from the last spectator to the caretaker of the building: 18-19. And this time it is Finelli who wants to talk about it. Nothing.
Pellegrino crushes, tows, roars and sets the seats of the nearby Friuli stadium in rhythm, yes Friuli like its people. Pertica Cervi, mysterious protagonist a few years ago in a championship final with Reggio, is a non-paying spectator. First advantage: 22-19. Gaines does the Gaines and helps his team to restart.
The APU reacted, but to try to win it must find the shot from outside. Fortunately, the siren of the first triple, welcomed by a building as a liberation, sets the DJ in rhythm after 16 ‘of play and ten shots on the iron. Scafati fails to move under the basket as in Campania and yet finds the triples of Palumbo and Gaines. Big Pellegrino?
Stoppa Gaines, the referees whistle a foul, DJ next to him shakes his head, as if to say: “and me over there?”. Mid-game 39-38 Apu, in a fiery atmosphere. Also because at Carnera, among the 5 million thrown away for the renovation, imagine if they have at least put air conditioning, which is now also in Uzbekistan’s sports halls.
The APU restarts and must improve 2 out of 13 from three. DJ shakera, with Sergio following him everywhere, drunk him and scores, Mian gets into a fight with Thomas and makes the third foul. Balance, mistakes, competitive spirit, dives (Giuri and Nobile alla Cagnotto). Then DJ (at the end 24 points), who some “phenomenon” had also criticized on social networks, puts a triple with a foul: 47-41 in the middle of the quarter. First lengthen, nothing special, but with one thing that risks being indigestible to the Campania region: the rhythm.
When he can (San prof Sepulcri) Udine runs. Gaines and Thomas are not there. The Apu, with a solid Foulland and a veteran-sized Schina (Amato, bruised, can’t make it), goes to the last interval with a 5-point treasure: 57-52. When Benvenuti makes a mistake and Mian makes the siren sound with 66-57 at 6’26 ”from the end, it seems the right time.
No, Scafati is there: 6-0 of partial 66-63 with 4’30 “from the end. Boniciolli must speak to us about it: it is the decisive moment. Foulland makes a hook to the kiss, Gaines surpasses himself twice. And the faint of heart are asked to get out: 68-66 Apu at minus 2’55 ”. Giuri has a steady heart, even Gaines: 70-60 with 2 ‘from the end.
The Campania players miss two triples for overtaking, Giuri with 21 ”from the end in a speechless Carnera perhaps takes the two free throws of the final. And marks one. Boniciolli chooses to defend, Thomas scores immediately. Udine attacks with 16 ”from the end. You swear the line returns, this time you are not wrong. Scafati yes: riot. And from Sunday off to Naples. It’s not over. –