San Pablo Burgos dominated for 30 minutes against Derthona Tortona, building a 13-point lead and entering the fourth quarter ahead. But a devastating 31-17 final quarter collapse handed Tortona a 89-79 victory in a direct battle for Group A supremacy. Porfi Fisac's squad falls to 1-3 and faces mounting pressure in the standings.
Burgos came out firing. An early 0-7 run, with Balša Koprivica dominating inside and Žiga Samar connecting from beyond the arc, put the visitors in control. Tortona's six turnovers in the first quarter helped Burgos close it out 18-25. The Italians responded in the second quarter thanks to Bortolani, who hit three straight three-pointers to tie the game at 33, but Burgos stretched the lead again before halftime with Samar orchestrating and DJ Steward and Koprivica adding points (36-45).
Lead Evaporates in Third Quarter
The maximum advantage came early in the second half at 36-49. That's when the game shifted. Tortona ramped up defensive intensity, Prentiss Hubb took control of the offense, and a 10-3 run cut the deficit to four points. Burgos still held on and closed the third quarter ahead (58-62), but control had slipped away.
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Bortolani Seals the Victory
Amar Alibegovic scored six straight points to open the fourth quarter, and a Bortolani basket gave Tortona its first lead of the game (66-65) with 8:15 remaining. Fisac called timeout and Burgos answered with a 0-7 run (71-74) led by Steward and Koprivica, but the game remained tight down the stretch. With 2:30 left, a Bortolani three-pointer sparked a decisive 7-0 run that decided the contest. The Italian shooting guard finished with 18 points, Hubb added 16, and Justin Gorham chipped in 15.
For Burgos, Steward led all scorers with 22 points, while Koprivica added 14. Sekou Doumbouya contributed 11, and Joaquín Taboada, who had scored 20 against Hapoel Jerusalem, went scoreless this time.