It is perfectly consistent with the season trend, a very close standing throughout the year, that three out of four series go to the distance. It had never happened before that there were three Games 5 in the EuroLeague playoffs. Since 2008/09, when the EuroLeague passed to a best-of-five series, 10 times we have had a Game 5, an eleventh date back to the 2000/01 championship series, the only one to have been played through a best-of-five series and not in a single game. This year we will reach 14 series resolved in the last game. Among these is obviously Olympia-Bayern, on Tuesday 4 May at 20:45. The two teams enter this game with the same number of wins, 23 for the season, tied 2-2 in the series, and it is also the seventh clash of the season. Olimpia has won four, but this is what matters most of course. For Olimpia, Game 5 will be the 77th official game of the season.

GAME 5 NOTES – Given the small sample size, few players have played a EuroLeague Game 5 during their careers. Sergio Rodriguez has played one in 2014 against Panathinaikos when he played for Real Madrid, Kyle Hines in 2013, against Efes, when he was playing for Olympiacos. He had another one 2014 when he was at CSKA against Panathinaikos. With him on the court there was also Vlado Micov and on the bench Coach Ettore Messina was leading CSKA. Malcolm Delaney played one in 2016 with Lokomotiv Kuban against Barcelona. It’s all here: a five-game combined experience. Ettore Messina also coached Game 5 of the championship series in 2001 when he was leading Virtus Bologna.

NOTES – Kevin Punter has had at least one steal in 11 of his last 12 games and has hit 41 of his last 43 free throws attempted. Vlado Micov, after having exceeded 700 rebounds in his career, also reached 300 for Olimpia. Zach LeDay has a streak of 22 free throws made, his 9/9 in Game 1 represented his second-best performance from the line after the 12/12 he had in Milan against CSKA Moscow. Kyle Hines enters Game 5 seven points shy of Marcus Brown’s 2,739 as the American best all-time scorer in the EuroLeague.

CHACHO NOTES – Sergio Rodriguez is six assists away from 1,400 in his career and has surpassed the 300-barrier while playing for Olimpia, the all-time leader for the club in the competition. In addition, he is 10 made threes away from 500 in his career. He is also eight points from 700 scored for Olimpia. Finally, he has scored at least one three in each of his last six games and has just had the 250th steals of his career to reach Jonas Maciulis at the ninth place on the all-time list.

SHIELDS NOTES – Shavon Shields has scored in double digits in 15 of their last 16 games. In Game 4 he set his new career record of assists with 5 and by scoring 17 points he exceeded 1,000 points scored in his career. The 10 free throws that he made and the 12 free throws that he attempted in Game 4 are also career-bests.

DELANEY NOTES – Malcolm Delaney is four steals from reaching 100 for his career. His 28 points in Game 4 are a season-high and his second-best career performance after the 31 points that he scored with Lokomotiv Kuban against Cedevita Zagreb during the 2015/16 season.

SERIES NOTES – Malcolm Delaney is averaging 16.3 points per game, shooting 57.1 percent from two and is also grabbing 3.8 rebounds per game. He is 20/23 from the line. Shavon Shields is scoring 12.0 points per game and enters Game 5 with 17/19 from the line. In Game 4 he also conquered seven rebounds. Kevin Punter has 12.3 points per game on average, he is 12/13 from the line. Zach LeDay is averaging 10.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. Sergio Rodriguez has 10.0 points per game, and he is shooting 42.1 percent from three-point range. The seven rebounds that Jeremy Evans grabbed in Game 4 have all been taken the first half.

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