EA7 Milan trashes Aris by 41

In just its second Eurocup game after starting the season in the Turkish Airlines Euroleague, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan set itself apart from the rest with one of the largest blowouts in competition history. EA7 Milan destroyed Aris Thessaloniki 95-54 at Mediolanum Forum in what was the second-largest margin of victory in Last 32 history. The result left both teams with 1-1 records in Group J. Milan already led after one quarter, but used a 20-0 march to start the second quarter to put the game out of reach and later scored 15 unanswered points to start the fourth quarter in building a lead that peaked at 48. Milan Macvan led six Milan scorers in double figures with 16 points, Alessandro Gentile scored 13, Oliver Lafayette amassed 12 points, 5 assists and 4 steals, Charles Jenkins also scored 12, Krunoslav Simon 11 and Stanko Barac posted 10 points and 9 rebounds. Dominic Waters led Aris with 12 points and Okaro White and Jerel McNeal added 10 each.

Aris started nicely with a Waters three-pointer combined with strong defense. Two-and-a-half minutes passed before Macvan scored Milan’s first basket. Simon drilled a triple that gave the hosts their first lead, 9-7. After White's put-back restored a slim Aris advantage, Simon scored half the points in an 8-0 push to lead 17-11. The lead continued to grow despite a White triple and reached 8 before White split free throws to end the opening quarter at 24-17. Milan showed no mercy to start the second quarter as it reeled off 20 unanswered points in keeping Aris scoreless for more than five minutes. Lafayette and Bruno Cerella scored 5 points each during the game-breaking run, which McNeal snapped with a three-pointer. But Milan was not done; Lafayette’s second three-pointer ended an 8-0 spurt for a 52-20 advantage. White and Jake Cohen showed signs of life from Aris, but Gentile and Cerella kept Milan comfortable in control. Cohen made it 57-27 at halftime.

Halftime did little to invigorate either team; an Andrea Cinciarini three-pointer and a Jamelle Hagins put-back were the only points in the first four minutes of the second half. Gentile added a three and the lead reached 36 on a Barac basket-plus foul, but Vassilis Symtsak and Waters kept the deficit from growing any more than that. A three by McNeal made it 71-42 through three quarters. Milan opened the fourth quarter with 15 unanswered points as the difference swelled into the 40s. The margin eventually peaked at 92-44 as Milan chalked up a convincing victory.