A Fortitudo Night. Douglas, Chills and Memories

FORTUDO 72 PIACENZA 62

FLATS SERVICE: Fantinelli 9, Bolpin 14, Mian 10, Battistini, Freeman 13, Vencato 7, Panni 3, Aradori 12, Thomas, Cusin 4, Ferrucci Morandi ne. Coach Caja.

ASSIGECO PIACENZA: Bartoli 14, Filoni 9, Marks 8, D'Almeida 1, Serpilli 19, Gilmore 5, Suljanovic, Bonacini 6, Querci none, Gajic none, Fiorillo none, Ciocca none. All. Beef.

Referee: Ferretti, Pecorella, Barbieri.

Notes: Partials 21-13, 42-29, 58-47. Two-pointers: Fortitudo 17/33; Piacenza 17/33. Three-pointers: 8/32; 5/22. Free throws: 14/17; 13/20. Rebounds: 45; 32.

Caja's Fortitudo scores its third consecutive victory, making 7 out of 7 at home, also beating Piacenza without any problems.

Yesterday's one PalaDozza but above all it was the commemorative evening of Reuben Douglas. The team enters the field wearing a special jersey for the warm-up, with Caja and his teammates watching from the bench as the late champion is greeted. The lights go out, only Fabrizio Pungetti's voice is heard, the commentator recounts the end of that historic game 4 on June 16, 2005 with Milan giving the Effe their second championship with Douglas's triple at the buzzer.

The palace applauds as images of Douglas and the triumphant ride appear on the big screen, "Because legends live forever".

Remembering Ruben Douglas are his mother Johnie, his brothers Russell and Ramon, one of whom, Russell, speaks on behalf of the family.

"Thanks to Fortitudo, Ruben had found a second family here, he felt at home". Words that come from the heart, followed by the final and most touching moment of the ceremony: while the Fossa remembers the champion with a special choreography "Douglas, an instant for eternity", to the tune of "In the air tonight" by Phil Collins, Ruben Douglas' number 20 jersey is raised, forever, under the vaults of the Madison.

The emotion and the memory then give way to the basketball played, with the match between Flats Service and Piacenza, which in fact has little history. A slow start aside, the challenge has only one master, Effe. A timeout is enough, at 5' on 5-8 for coach Attilio Caja to give his team a jolt. A partial of 11-2 follows that immediately gives the inertia to the match in favor of Fortitudo. The break extends to 21-5 for the 26-13 of the 11', which is maintained until the interval. The challenge is still in the hands of Effe who touches +17 on 56-39 at 27'. A challenge in the icebox with plenty of time to spare, with Effe that pulls the plug too early, but Piacenza never able to get close.

Il PalaDozza can give a new ovation to coach Caja and Reuben DouglasOn Sunday, Flats Service will face the tricky away match in Verona, followed on Wednesday 29th by the long-awaited home match against Cantù.