Lega Basket Serie A Playoffs: R.J. Cole Leads Venezia Past Derthona in Game 2 to Take 2-0 Series Lead
R.J. Cole, Venezia fight past Derthona in Game 2 to Take 2-0 Series Lead Photo Credit: Reyer Venezia
It wasn’t a highlight-reel explosion. It was something more valuable in playoff basketball. On May 19, at the Palasport Taliercio, R.J. Cole delivered exactly what Umana Reyer Venezia needed — a controlled, efficient, and perfectly timed performance to dismantle Bertram Derthona 87-75 and seize a 2-0 lead in the LBA quarterfinals.
The context made this win all the more significant. Derthona had claimed Game 1 at home on May 10, edging Venezia 78-75. That narrow defeat could have rattled the Venetians. Instead, they responded with a statement performance on their own floor, and Cole was the conductor throughout.
Cole Orchestrates, Venezia’s Depth Does the Rest
Cole finished with 19 points — the team high — along with 3 rebounds and 2 assists in 28 minutes. His shot selection was measured, going 1/4 from 3-points while finding his points in the right moments rather than forcing the issue. What stood out wasn’t the volume, but the timing and the rhythm he imposed on the game. He controlled the pace, kept Derthona‘s defense off balance, and created the space his teammates needed to operate.
Umana Reyer Venezia 87 - 75 Bertram Derthona · Lega Basket Serie A · 19/05/2026Game PTS REB AST Umana Reyer Venezia Leonardo Candi 5 1 2 Ky Bowman 9 3 3 Carl Wheatle 9 5 1 Stefan Nikolic 3 1 2 Jordan Parks 16 3 1 Kyle Wiltjer 15 2 1 Denzel Valentine 5 3 3 Amedeo Tessitori 2 3 2 R.J. Cole 19 3 2 Chris Horton 4 5 2 Alessandro Lever 0 0 0 Giovanni De Nicolao 0 0 0 Bertram Derthona Andrea Pecchia 4 5 2 Christian Vital 8 7 1 Prentiss Hubb 3 2 2 Justin Gorham 21 5 2 Ezra Manjon 4 0 3 Brekkott Chapman 10 5 1 Lamine Tandia 0 0 0 Tommaso Baldasso 10 3 3 Arturs Strautins 9 3 0 Dominik Olejniczak 3 1 1 Paul Biligha 3 6 1 Joonas Riismaa 0 0 0
And those teammates delivered. Jordan Parks added 16 points and 3 rebounds in just 22 minutes, while Kyle Wiltjer contributed 15 points off 26 minutes of work. Kyran Azende Bowman chipped in 9 points with 3 assists, and Carl Wheatle provided 9 points and 5 rebounds in a physical 27-minute shift. Five contributors, all meaningful — that kind of collective depth is difficult to guard in a playoff setting.
For Derthona, Justin Gorham was the lone bright spot, pouring in a game-high 21 points with 5 rebounds in 27 minutes. But one dominant individual performance wasn’t enough to withstand Venezia‘s balanced assault. The Tortona side simply had no answer for the collective pressure Venezia applied across all five positions.
A Dangerous Road Trip Ahead
The series now shifts back to Tortona, where Derthona will be desperate to avoid elimination on home soil. They showed in Game 1 that they can win there — and that they are capable of making things uncomfortable for Venezia in a hostile environment.
But Venezia carries serious momentum. Cole doesn’t need to be the highest scorer every night to be the most important player on the floor. He just needs to orchestrate — and in Game 2, that’s precisely what he did. With a 2-0 series advantage and a balanced roster firing on all cylinders, Umana Reyer Venezia is firmly in control of this quarterfinal tie.
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