Milan broke open the third game and convincingly took the lead against Brescia
EA7 Emporio Armani Milano took the most important step so far in the semifinal series of the Italian basketball championship, defeating Germani Brescia 93:68 in the third playoff game of Lega Basket Serie A. The match was played on June 3, 2026, at the Unipol Forum in Milan, that is, in Assago, and according to the official LBA calendar it was the third duel of the LBA Playoff Unipol 2026 semifinal. With that victory, Milan took a 2:1 lead in the series and moved within one win of reaching the final of the Italian championship. The result is especially strong because Brescia arrived in Milan after success in the second game, with which it tied the series and reopened the battle for the final. The third duel, however, showed how quickly the balance in the playoffs can change when one team imposes a defensive rhythm after the break and punishes every lapse in the opponent’s concentration.
The first half kept the series in balance
According to the Pallacanestro Brescia box score, the result by quarters was 19:18, 25:25, 23:10 and 26:15, which clearly shows that the final 25-point difference did not arise from the very beginning, but after a complete turnaround in the intensity of play after the break. The first quarter ended with a minimal Milan lead, and Brescia managed to keep pace with the home team during that period thanks to better offensive organization and early solutions through Amedeo Della Valle, Nikola Ivanović and the big men. Shavon Shields very early took over offensive responsibility for the Milan team, creating points from isolations, drives and open positions, while Brescia tried to maintain offensive width and force Milan’s centers into additional reactions on defense. In the second quarter, the visitors briefly looked more stable, especially when they reached a small lead through transition and energy from the bench. Still, Milan kept control of the rhythm until halftime and went into the break with a 44:43 advantage, announcing a game in which the decision would depend on the first serious defensive surge.
The third quarter completely changed the game
The key difference came in the third quarter, which Milan won 23:10. According to Sky Sport’s report, the home team then significantly raised its defensive level, accelerated ball movement and began reaching points from situations that Brescia could no longer stop without delay or fouls. After the first half ended almost level, Milan narrowed the space for Amedeo Della Valle, stopped easier drives and forced Brescia into longer, more difficult offensive solutions. Josh Nebo became an important pillar under the rim, not only because of rebounding, but also because of the presence that made life difficult for Miro Bilan, one of Brescia’s key players in the earlier part of the season. When the home team first moved into a double-digit lead, the game began to break psychologically: Brescia increasingly chased the result, while Milan finished its possessions more confidently and with more players involved in the final phase.
Sky Sport emphasized in its analysis that Milan outplayed the opponent 49:25 in the second half. That figure best describes the difference in energy, defensive cohesion and efficiency after the break. Brescia managed in the first part to answer most of Milan’s runs, but in the third quarter it no longer found the same continuity. Della Valle kept the visitors alive with individual quality, but the rest of the team did not have a sufficiently stable shot, a deep enough inside game, or enough easy transition points. Milan, on the other hand, gradually opened up more and more options: Shields continued attacking, Leandro Bolmaro brought energy and aggression, Armoni Brooks added an outside threat, and Niccolò Mannion very usefully managed the minutes in which the home team maintained the lead. By the end of the third quarter, the 67:53 score already gave a clear picture of the direction in which the game was heading.
Shields carried the offense, Nebo controlled the paint
According to the official box score published by Pallacanestro Brescia, Shavon Shields was Milan’s top scorer with 20 points. Leandro Bolmaro added 14, Armoni Brooks 12, and Niccolò Mannion 10 points, giving Milan a very broad offensive distribution. Josh Nebo finished the game with 8 points and 12 rebounds, and according to LBA data he was the game’s best rebounder. Marko Gudurić did not have a big scoring night, but according to LBA statistics he delivered 6 assists, showing how much Milan benefited from offensive organization and extra passes after breaking the first line of defense. Zach LeDay appeared in the official LBA statistical highlights with the best plus-minus impact, further confirming that his value in this game went beyond only the number of points scored.
For Brescia, Amedeo Della Valle scored 19 points and was the most consistent offensive support for Matteo Cotelli’s team. Jason Burnell added 12, Maurice Ndour 11, and C. J. Massinburg 8 points. According to Sky Sport’s report, Burnell had ankle problems after an awkward landing late in the first half, and although he returned to the court, his impact in the continuation was not at a level that would have allowed Brescia to stay connected for longer. Miro Bilan remained at 2 points, which is one of the most important statistical details of the game because Brescia usually needs his inside game in order to open space for the perimeter players. When Milan closed the paint and limited Bilan’s influence, the visitors’ offense became more predictable, and an ever greater burden fell on Della Valle’s individual solutions.
Brescia did not withstand the defensive pressure
The Pallacanestro Brescia report describes the start of the game as a high-voltage encounter, but also stresses that the home team gained full control after the break thanks to defensive solidity. Brescia had enough ideas in the first half of the duel to punish individual Milan mistakes, especially when it managed to launch faster ball movement and find second-plan solutions. But after the break Milan defended the first passing line much more aggressively and closed the paint better, which caused the visitors’ possessions to end more and more often in late attempts. When better rebounding control by the home team was added to that pressure, Brescia lost the possibility of getting extra possessions and easy points. In a playoff game, such a loss of rhythm often carries a double cost: the opponent pulls away on the scoreboard, and the trailing team begins forcing increasingly difficult shots.
Milan used that situation very rationally. Giuseppe Poeta’s team did not rely on only one form of offense, but used drives, offensive rebounding, transition and quicker changes of side. Bolmaro brought an additional impulse late in the third and early in the fourth quarter, while Mannion and Diop converted situations that further increased the home team’s lead. Sky Sport states that Milan went above a 20-point difference midway through the final quarter, after which the duel practically lost its competitive uncertainty. The last few minutes passed under the control of the home team, which not only preserved the advantage but also increased it further to the final 93:68. Such an outcome gives Milan a significant psychological advantage ahead of the fourth game, but in a best-of-five series it still does not close the question of the finalist.
The series changed direction after two different meetings in Brescia
The context of the series further strengthens the importance of the third game. According to the calendar and results published by the LBA, Milan won the first game in Brescia 88:72, while Brescia answered in the second duel with an 85:79 victory and tied it at 1:1. Sky Sport notes in its playoff overview that this is a semifinal between the second and third seeds, Brescia as the second and Olimpia Milano as the third team in the playoff draw. That gave the series from the beginning the weight of one of the most important clashes of the Italian season, not only because of qualification for the final, but also because of the confrontation between two teams that have different rhythms, but enough quality to fight for the title. The third game in Milan was the first meeting of the series after the return to Lombardy, but with a change of home court that obviously suited Olimpia.
The LBA stated in the series preview that this is the fourth playoff series between Germani Brescia and Olimpia Milano. That fact shows how their rivalry has developed in recent years into one of the more relevant Italian playoff clashes. Milan traditionally brings great experience of playing under pressure in such games, while Brescia in recent seasons has been building continuity and the status of a team that can compete with the strongest. In the third game, however, Milan’s ability to find an additional defensive level after an even first half proved decisive. Brescia now has to find an answer in a very short time, because the fourth game is again played in Milan, and every new defeat would mean the end of the series.
The fourth game brings two completely different obligations
According to the schedule published by Sky Sport, the fourth game between EA7 Emporio Armani Milano and Germani Brescia is scheduled for Friday, June 5, 2026, at 20:00. For Milan, the situation is clear: victory brings qualification for the final of the Italian championship. For Brescia, the task is more demanding because it must not only improve the performance from the third game, but also bring the series back in front of its fans in a possible fifth game. In practical terms, Matteo Cotelli’s team must find a way to relieve Della Valle, reinvolve Bilan in the offense and prevent Milan from developing runs from defense that quickly change the result. Rebounding control will be especially important, because Nebo’s dominance in the third meeting gave Milan both physical and tactical security.
Milan, on the other hand, will try to repeat the pattern from the continuation of the third game. If the home team again manages to close the paint, keep Brescia below its usual offensive rhythm and get contributions from multiple positions, the series could end as early as the fourth meeting. Still, the playoffs often bring quick reactions, especially after heavy defeats, so the 93:68 result does not necessarily mean that Brescia is without an answer. What is, however, beyond doubt after the third game is that Milan has taken the initiative and returned the pressure to the opponent. A series that was completely open after two meetings now has a clear favorite, but it still requires final confirmation on the court.
Sources:
- Lega Basket Serie A – official game frame, result, series status and statistically highlighted players (link)
- Pallacanestro Brescia – official club report, box score, scorers, quarter scores and description of the course of the game (link)
- Sky Sport Italia – match report, second-half analysis, series context and preview of the fourth game (link)
- Sky Sport Italia – overview of the schedule and results of the Serie A 2026 playoffs, including Brescia’s and Milan’s path to the semifinals (link)