Ettore Messina praised Zach LeDay as Milan's "Draymond Green" for his heart and hustle in their win over Real Madrid, while also commending Nico Mannion's debut.
Injury-riddled EA7 Emporio Armani Milan stunned Real Madrid with an 85-76 victory at home on Thursday night, handing Los Blancos their third consecutive EuroLeague loss.
Zach LeDay was the backbone of Milan's success, logging a remarkable 38 minutes and 19 seconds on the court, with less than two minutes of rest.
His high-energy performance was highlighted by 17 points, eight rebounds, two assists, and 23 PIR.
"Zach is our Draymond Green. In a good sense," coach Ettore Messina told EuroLeague TV after the win. "He works, he's got a big heart. He played very well on both ends of the floor.
"The whole team played well," Messina added. "Everybody who stepped on the court helped us. We're all very happy because we beat Real Madrid, one of the toughest teams in the EuroLeague."
Nico Mannion also made his debut for Milan, coming off the bench to score 11 points and dish out five assists in 15 minutes.
"I think he made good decisions. He looked like he always played the EuroLeague," Messina evaluated. "I'm very happy for him because it wasn't easy for him to accept this challenge. We're very happy to have him here. Without overloading him with expectations, we just hope to continue to grow as a team and individually as players."
This victory brought Milan's record to 3-5 in the season.
