Coach Ettore Messina entering in the Bologna game asked to his team to play tough defense and to control the rebounding battle. Olimpia obliged, prevailing over Fortitudo 82-71 for its fifth consecutive win in the Italian league. The key was to keep Fortitudo 13 points under its scoring averaged, Adrian Banks, the defending scoring champion, in single digit, and finally Pietro Aradori after an unreal 20-point first half had just four points in the second. “That was the key, we didn’t shoot the ball well, so we had to find a way to win the game, regardless, and we did. Our second half defense was excellent, we attacked the rim, we controlled the boards, we did the things we had to do to win the game, in spite of our shooting,” Coach Messina said. “Our defense was not aggressive enough in the first half, we corrected it in the second,” Gigi Datome said.

Datome was one of the hot-shooting guy, scoring 16 points in 21 minutes, going 3-for-4 from three. Sergio Rodriguez also went 3-for-4 from three-point range. Michael Roll made three threes, but overall the team went 9-for-30, including a 0-for-7 night for Shavon Shields. And still, Shields played 35 minutes, scored 17 points, his energy was all over the floor especially in the second half. He was responsaible for Banks difficult night and in spurts he kept Aradori in check in the second half. Kyle Hines had a double double, 12 points and 11 rebounds. Olimpia won the rebounding battle 46-30, with Kaleb Tarczewski grabbin eight board, too.

Olimpia led most of the game, starting it 7-1. In the second period, went by 10 after a Rodriguez three and the game looked under control. Fortitudo suddenly responded with a 14-0 run that included two three-point plays. After leading 38-28, Olimpia went in the locker room at the half down 42-38. Second half was different. Ricky Moraschini had just three points, 1-for-7 from the field, but he dished six assists and was plus 22 for the game.