ITA - Sassari scores historical upset in defeat of Armani Jeans

MILAN (LEGA A) - The 2011 Italian play-offs got underway with a huge bang on Wednesday as newcomers Dinamo Sassari beat 25-time Italian League champions Armani Jeans Milano 71-70 at home in one of the biggest upsets in the league's history.

The visitors trailed 66-59 with four minutes left to play, but fought back to tie the score at 69 in the final minute.

After American James White - the league's top scorer during the regular season - knotted the score with 35 lefts remaining, Milan turned the ball over and Sassari point guard Mauro Pinton was sent to the free-throw line with four seconds to go.

Filling in for American Travis Diener, who was out with back spasm, Pinton made good on both his foul shots for a 71-69 edge.

Armani Jeans went to David Hawkins at the other end and he was fouled with two seconds remaining. He missed the first and made the second to give Sassari their most memorable win.

Game 2 of the best-of-five quarter-final series is on Friday.

Pinton, getting only his second start of the season, finished with 11 points.

Armani Jeans head coach Dan Peterson (pictured) afterward said that his team did not see Diener's absence as an advantage for his team.

"It may sounds trange, but before a play-off game, the absence of the opposite team's best player is always the worst news for me," he said.

"My team saw that Diener couldn't play and maybe we thought our job could have been easier."

Peterson, who returned to Milan's bench in January after a 24-year absence from the coaching ranks, rued his team's inability to make their fair share of foul shots.

"We missed too many free-throws," he said in reference to Milan's 17 of 26 effort from the charity stripe.

"It's tough to get into the play-off atmosphere. Now we need our crowd's help too."

Milan will also need a better effort from newcomer Coby Karl, who had just six points in 14 minutes on Wednesday.

The American guard was brought in to replace Lithuanian international Jonas Maciulis, who last week ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament and is expected to miss the EuroBasket in his homeland.

In Wednesday's other game, Bennet Cantu easily dispatched Cimberio Varese 78-53.

FIBA