EA7 Emporio Armani Milan opened a new chapter on Wednesday night with a 102-88 road win over Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv in Belgrade, marking the club’s first outing since Ettore Messina stepped down earlier this week.
Peppe Poeta, promoted after Messina’s departure, guided the Italian side to its third straight victory, continuing the momentum he built while filling in during Messina’s recent absence.
Milan led 54-48 at halftime in an entertaining first half shaped by Shavon Shields’ all-around production and Lonnie Walker’s scoring burst.
Shields had 13 points, five rebounds, and five assists before the break, while Walker countered with 19 for Maccabi.
The second half changed the tone, as Milan made key defensive adjustments and held one of the EuroLeague’s top offenses to 14 points in the third quarter.
Maccabi briefly reclaimed the lead with a 9-2 run to open the period, but Milan responded by tightening its perimeter coverage and cutting off Walker’s penetration lanes.
The guard, who dominated early, finished with 21 points after being limited to two in the second half.
Shields became the focal point offensively during the pivotal third-quarter stretch, scoring 10 of Milan’s next 11 points to restore a double-digit advantage.
He closed with a season-high 26 points on 7-for-11 shooting, adding seven rebounds, six assists, and perfect 9-for-9 free-throw accuracy.
Five Milan players reached double figures as the visitors recorded 22 assists, shot 62.5 percent inside the arc, and converted 23 of 24 free throws.
Leandro Bolmaro contributed 11 points and three assists, while Alex Brooks added 20 with efficient perimeter shooting.
Devin Booker and Zach LeDay combined for 18 points, offering valuable interior support alongside Josh Nebo, who posted 11 points and seven boards.
Maccabi relied on Walker and Roman Sorkin, who scored 20 on 7-for-12 shooting, but defensive lapses and rebounding gaps (35-26 in Milan’s favor) proved costly across the final two quarters.
Poeta’s group controlled pace, avoided turnovers, and responded each time Maccabi attempted to shift momentum.
Shields emphasized the defensive turnaround in his postgame interview, noting the team’s focus on reducing easy opportunities after conceding 48 first-half points.
Poeta echoed that sentiment, pointing to compact team defense and improved ball movement as decisive factors in the second half.
Milan improved to 7-6 with the result, continuing its surge under its new head coach.
Maccabi dropped to 3-10 after suffering its fourth loss in the last five outings.
Milan travels to Spain to face Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz next Friday, while Maccabi prepares for a road test at Zalgiris Kaunas in Round 14.
