A challenging preseason test for Napoli Basket ahead of the new season. Coach Magro’s team was defeated on the road in France by JL Bourg-en-Bresse, a Pro A and EuroCup club, with a final score of 109–77. Forward Aamir Simms was held out as a precaution due to muscle fatigue.
Bourg started strong with Kokila and Mokoka, while Napoli answered with Bolton and a three from Treier to make it 10–8. The home side responded with a 12–2 run, forcing Coach Magro to call a timeout. Making his Napoli debut was Naz Mitrou-Long. The first quarter ended on an El-Amin three, giving Bourg a 34–18 lead. Despite the preseason setting, officiating proved strict, with two technical fouls assessed to the Azzurri in the opening frame.
The second quarter opened with a Flagg bucket and a Mitrou-Long three, but Bourg pushed back with a Mitchell triple and two dunks from Mbaya, leading to another Napoli timeout. Mitchell connected again from deep, answered by Treier, but midway through the quarter Bourg stretched the lead to 50–30. With Ekanga and McGhee adding to the attack, Bourg went into halftime up 68–41. The free-throw disparity was notable — 24 attempts for the French side to just 8 for Napoli.
Napoli started the third on a 4–0 run behind Caruso and Mitrou-Long, but Bourg quickly responded through Gach and Kokila. Officials continued to crack down, whistling a third technical against Napoli. With red-hot shooting from the perimeter and in midseason form physically, Bourg broke the game wide open and closed the third up 89–55. In the fourth, Flagg drilled back-to-back threes to open play, but a 7–0 Bourg run forced another Napoli timeout. From there, the hosts controlled the gap and finished off the 109–77 win.
Box Score:
Flagg 18, El-Amin 14, Croswell 13, Mitrou-Long 7, Faggian 6, Treier 5, Gentile 5, Bolton 5, Saccoccia 2, Caruso 2, Gloria, Simms DNP.
Coach Magro’s comments:
“Beyond the result, this was certainly a very useful game for us. It was the type of challenge we expected — against a team that plays with great physicality. That’s the level we want to measure ourselves against and replicate every day in practice, so we’re ready when we face this type of competition in the Italian league. There’s still a lot of work to be done, but we also showed some very good things tonight — things that represent our strengths — and those are what we need to continue to focus on. Once we’re finally at full strength, I believe this team, if it concentrates only on the things it can control, can do well and compete every Sunday against any opponent.”
Napoli Basket returns to action on Friday, September 26, in Spain for its final preseason test against Girona of the Liga ACB, before opening the Serie A season.