ITA - Roma, Milano hit back to level play-off series in Italy

ROME (Lega A) - Lottomatica Roma and Armani Jeans Milano levelled their Italian league play-off ties by defeating Montepaschi Siena and Benetton Treviso, respectively, on Saturday.

Serbo-Montenegrin Dejan Bodiroga tore apart Montepaschi with 24 points as Lottomatica won Game Two 84-60.

The Romans took control early at the PalaLottomatica, leading 25-16 at the end of the first quarter and they were still in front at half-time, 40-27.

Svetislav Pesic's team then put the game on ice in the third quarter by outscoring Mens Sana 24-11.

Lottomatica were just two of 17 from three-point range, but they dominated the visitors on the boards, out-rebounding them 43-26.

Nigerian international Obinna Ekezie enjoyed one of his best games with Roma, scoring 15 points and pulling down a game-high 14 rebounds.

Lithuanian star Rimantas Kaukenas had 15 points for Montepaschi.

In Milan, Armani Jeans took Game Two 76-65 with both Dante Calabria and Joseph Blair pouring in 18 points.

Calabria, a veteran in Europe who played college basketball at the University of North Carolina a decade ago, was red-hot from behind the arc, making six of his eight attempts against one of the teams he once played for.

Andrea Bargnani, who will be a focal point of the Italians at the FIBA World Championship in Japan, was held to just eight points in 32 minutes.

Marcus Goree scored 20 points for Benetton to lead all scorers.

By PA Sport, Exclusively for FIBA