EA7 Emporio Armani Milan held off a furious fourth-quarter comeback from FC Barcelona to secure an 87-84 victory on Thursday at Allianz Cloud, keeping its EuroLeague playoff hopes firmly alive.
The Italian club improved to 15-15 and snapped a two-game losing streak in a tightly contested race for postseason positioning.
Milan controlled the game for most of the night before nearly letting a commanding lead slip away in the final minutes.
The hosts established momentum early by dictating the pace in the opening quarter.
Peppe Poeta’s team moved the ball effectively and built a 24-17 advantage after the first period while limiting Barcelona’s offensive rhythm.
Barcelona briefly responded early in the second quarter, but Milan’s offense became increasingly fluid as the half progressed.
Efficient half-court execution and balanced scoring allowed the home side to stretch the lead to 46-34 at halftime.
The game appeared to be decided in the third quarter when Milan produced its most dominant stretch.
The Italian side controlled both ends of the floor, extended possessions with solid defense, and pushed the margin to 78-51 entering the final period.
Barcelona then delivered an unexpected response in the fourth quarter.
The Spanish club increased defensive pressure and began converting perimeter shots, fueling a dramatic scoring run that quickly erased most of the deficit.
Tomas Satoransky led the late surge with precise shooting and playmaking.
Barcelona cut the gap to just 86-84 in the closing seconds, but the comeback arrived too late to fully overturn the result.
Despite the late scare, Milan controlled large portions of the contest behind strong individual performances and balanced offensive production.
Zach LeDay led the way with 16 points and seven rebounds while emphasizing the team’s defensive focus.
Leandro Bolmaro delivered an all-around performance with 13 points, four rebounds, and six assists.
Josh Nebo added 12 points and seven rebounds in the paint, while Armoni Brooks scored 11 points and Devin Booker contributed 10.
Quinn Ellis also played an important defensive role with three steals and five assists.
Milan finished with 19 assists but also committed 19 turnovers, which helped Barcelona mount its late comeback attempt.
Barcelona received 15 points each from Jan Vesely and Tornike Shengelia, while Satoransky finished with 11 points and five assists.
The visitors also forced 19 turnovers and recorded 12 steals but could not overcome the large third-quarter deficit.
Milan will face Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv next Friday, while Barcelona hosts Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv on the same day.
