Massima Roma defeats BC Roma 96-95 in historic Rome basketball derby

Massima Roma secured a narrow 96-95 victory over BC Roma in the first basketball ‘Derby della Capitale’ in 46 years. The match, part of the third round of the Italian championship, took place at the PalaEur before a crowd of approximately 9,312 spectators.

Massima Roma overcame an early deficit, trailing 33-25 after the first quarter, to eventually take control in the second half. Aaron Holiday led the scoring for the winners with 20 points, supported by John Brown and Mirza Alibegovic, who contributed 18 points each. For BC Roma, Nico Mannion was the top scorer with 24 points.

The event marked a significant return of top-tier basketball to Rome, with the last major derby occurring in 1980. The atmosphere was heightened by the presence of Francesco Totti, who serves as an advisor to Massima Roma. BC Roma is noted for its investment involvement from Luka Doncic.