2008–09 Lega Basket Serie A


The 2008–09 Lega Basket Serie A season, known as the Serie A TIM for sponsorship reasons, was the 87th season of the Lega Basket Serie A, the highest professional basketball league in Italy.
The regular season ran from September 30, 2007 to April 27, 2008, 16 teams played each other team in home and away matches. At the end of the regular season, the top 8 teams advanced to the championship play-off whilst the lowest ranked teams, GMAC Bologna and Snaidero Udine, were relegated to the Legadue.
The original number of teams was 18, but on September 20, 2008 the Federal Council of the Italian Basketball Federation discovered administrative irregularities committed by Basket Napoli and UPEA Capo d'Orlando and decided to deny them professional licenses. The council also chose not to substitute them with any teams from LegADue, and at the same time decided to permanently reduce the number of teams in the top flight to 16.
Montepaschi Siena swept virtually all before them domestically, winning the SuperCoppa Italiana before the season and the Coppa Italia at midseason, losing in the league only once, and going unbeaten through the playoffs to claim their third straight title.

Teams

The Italian Supercup is played as a single match before the start of the season between the previous year's Serie A champion and Coppa Italia winner. This season, the game, played September 30 in Siena, pitted two-time defending league champion Montepaschi Siena against Coppa Italia winner Air Avellino.
Terrell McIntyre was named MVP of the game.

Standings

At end of regular season:
PosTeamPtsGWLPFPA
1.Montepaschi Siena583029126512153
2.Lottomatica Roma4030201025562398
3.Bancatercas Teramo3830191124912435
4.Benetton Treviso3630181223202261
5.La Fortezza Bologna3430171323502336
6.Armani Jeans Milano3430171323162236
7.Angelico Biella3030151525142479
8.Scavolini-Spar Pesaro2830141624562436
9.NGC Cantù2830141623582445
10.Carife Ferrara2830141623592390
11.Air Avellino2630131723072293
12.Premiata Montegranaro2430121822942431
13.Eldo Caserta2230111922362389
14.Solsonica Rieti20*30111921872321
15.GMAC Bologna2030102022512385
16.Snaidero Udine123062423292587

Following the season, the owner of Fortitudo Bologna failed to make required payments to remain in the Italian professional ranks, and the club were further relegated to the country's third level, the nominally amateur Serie A Dilettanti. An appeal was unsuccessful.

Coppa Italia

The top eight teams at the halfway point of the regular season competed in the Italian Cup, seeded according to their league placement at that time. The cup tournament was held at Futurshow Station in Casalecchio di Reno from February 19 to February 22, 2009, with top seed Montepaschi Siena winning the cup for the first time.

Playoffs

The playoffs, which began on May 18, featured the top eight teams from regular-season play, seeded by league position. The quarterfinal and semifinal rounds were best-of-five, while the final expanded for the first time from its traditional best-of-five format to best-of-seven.