SZOLNOK (Hungary) - Following their 82-62 road victory in Game 1 of the Play-Ins, Pallacanestro Trieste were confident enough to seal the deal in Game 2 at home.
NHSZ-Szolnoki Olajbanyasz had other plans, and the series went back to Hungary for the do-or-die Game 3.
The Italians needed two miracle plays to advance to the Round of 16 of the Basketball Champions League, powered by Ameresco SUNEL.
Turning point
With five minutes left in the game, Juan Toscano-Anderson banked in a jumper and immediately roared at the crowd, releasing his tension and starting to savor the Round of 16 taste. Trieste were up 78-69.
That also sparked the late reaction by the hosts, who entered a 10-0 run to get back up at 79-78, going back-and-forth in the following plays.
A crucial steal by Adam Somogyi opened the fastbreak lane for Le'Tre Darthard, who put in what looked like the game-winning layup. But another twist took place.
Michele Ruzzier missed the three-pointer with two seconds to play, but Jeff Brooks was there for the easiest tap-in of his life, getting Trieste back in front.
With 0.3 seconds left before the buzzer, Szolnoki just had to try for an alley-oop play from the inbound, and they were even able to reach Brady Skeens.
Juan Toscano-Anderson was there to clean it and send Trieste straight to the Round of 16. You couldn't script a crazier ending to this Play-In series.
Game hero
Jeff Brooks didn't step on the court for three consecutive games in the BCL Regular Season and hasn't had the easiest of campaigns with the Italian side. But he was there when needed.
He stepped up for 14 points (6-of-8 from the field), 7 rebounds, and 2 steals. Obviously, he also had the game-winning shot to lead Trieste to the Round of 16.
A crucial mention must be given to Juan Toscano-Anderson (12 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists), who had the block to lock the win, and Jahmi'us Ramsey, once again Trieste's leading scorer on the road in Hungary with 19.
Stats don't lie
This game will definitely enter the BCL history books, and once again proves why do-or-die games in the BCL are must-watch basketball. The 15 lead changes between the two teams are clear proof.
Moreover, despite wasting a 9-point lead more than once during the encounter, Trieste was the better team during the night, leading for 32:56 minutes. The hosts had the lead for 03:57 minutes.
Bottom line
Following this crazy victory, Israel Gonzalez's team will now face La Laguna Tenerife, Dreamland Gran Canaria, and ERA Nymburk in Group L of the Round of 16, extending their run in the BCL.
On the other end, the Hungarian champions say goodbye to the competition with courage, showing they could have belonged among the best 16 teams.
Adam Somogyi had one of the best games of his life, ending with a double-double of 25 points and 10 assists while also making an outstanding 2+1 play to keep his team in contention in the fourth quarter.
They said
"It was an incredible game. Hard fought game. Gotta give it to Adam Somogyi - I hope I'm saying his name correctly. I'm a huge fan of his game - I've played with and against some really good players in my lifetime and in my career... Obviously, I played with Steph Curry so... This guy is really good. He absolutely made it tough for us across the board." Juan Toscano-Anderson, Pallacanestro Trieste
"They had a well-rounded effort tonight. Auston Barnes gave us a little bit of trouble, Boris (Krnjajski) gave us trouble tonight. They've had different guys come alive within the series but Adam Somogyi has been very consistent and I'm the one guarding him so, he's just made it tough for me on the defensive end, you know, throughout the series." - JTA, again