Napoli saw off ŽLBurg 84-76 in the EuroCup on Tuesday evening, a result that keeps their campaign moving forward. The hosts controlled the tempo for long stretches, though the visitors never let the gap widen beyond comfortable margins. Money has come for the hosts in recent weeks, and that showed in the way they managed the closing moments.
And here's the thing — the game wasn't decided by one spectacular run. It was decided by small advantages: three-point shooting, the ability to get rebounds and turn them into possessions. By then the visitors had already started to tighten things up, but the deficit was too deep to claw back.
The numbers tell a clear story. Napoli hit 11 three-pointers to ŽLBurg's five, and their 16 assists compared with just 6 from the visitors showed far better ball movement. Both sides turned the ball over 21 times, but the hosts converted 15 free throws to 17, and their 10 steals put constant pressure on ŽLBurg's passing lanes.
We had called for the hosts beforehand at 56 per cent confidence, and the result vindicated that call. The shooting accuracy from distance — 29 field goals compared with 27 — mattered more than volume, and the visitors were left flat-footed when Napoli found space in the paint.
ŽLBurg sit second in the standings with 13 wins from 18 games, five defeats, and no draws. This result keeps them within striking distance of the leaders, though the gap in points will need closing if they want to challenge at the business end of the tournament.
The visitors come into the next round with a recent run that includes narrow defeats to Saint-Quentin and two losses to Monaco. Napoli's form has been more consistent, with victories over Maxima Roma and Udine AP following their earlier setback against Reggio Calabria.
