EA7 Milano sent a statement of intent by thrashing previously unbeaten Barcelona 91-63 as the penultimate round of Top 16 action got underway in the fashion capital.

Alessandro Gentile led Milano with 24 points as they continue to silence the doubters that stated their involvement in the quarter-finals was a ‘surprise. Barcelona, who have already qualified as Group E winners were without Juan Carlos Navarro and they rotated frequently, en route to their heaviest loss since 1998.

The Catalan side have also lost their 24-game unbeaten run in the Euroleague Top 16 as they go to 12-1 in the group.

This though is Milano’s time. No doubt the story of the entire Top 16 and motivated by the prospect of competing in a hometown Final Four in mid-May. They secured their seventh straight win in the Top 16 as they methodically picked their time and a 12-0 run in the second followed by a devastating 16-2 charge late in the third settled the game and broke the streak.

Indeed it was another victory chalked up without the services of leading scorer Keith Langford.

“It has been a special night for the team and for this amazing crowd,” Gentile said. “With so many fans supporting you this way, you play with more intensity and motivation.

“We had amazing shooting percentages from long distance, but our defence was the key to everything and I think that everybody on the court did his job. We have increased our confidence game-by-game, and now raised it to the top. It may look easy, but we have to keep on working hard and looking at the next step,”

Barcelona guard Marcelinho Huertas admitted afterwards that while this game had no effect on the standings with both teams going through anyway, but in later games they might have a problem with team chemistry or that there mental pre-game preparation could suffer from this loss.

A final day clash at home to already eliminated Laboral Kutxa could be the best time to answer that question.

Alex Abrines led Barca with 14 points as all players spent no more than 23 minutes on the court.

“One team had more desire to win the game, and they deserved it,” Barca coach Xavi Pascual said. “We had some problems in the first quarter, but we answered in the second quarter when raised our intensity. But in the third quarter we played the worst way possible. Then with the game broken we disappeared and their confidence grew, but I don’t want to take merit away from Milano’s victory.”

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