Olimpia bounced back really strong in the second half edging Anadolu Efes 87-74 and swept the double-week. Early in the second quarter, a three-pointer made by PJ Dozier opened up a 14-point gap that Olimpia managed to reduce just to 11 points at the half. But the lethargic defense shown in the first half was erased by the energy level and sharpness demostrated in the second part of the game. Olimpia started the third period with a Zach LeDay’s three. Following, they had Josh Nebo converting an alley-oop pass by Shavon Shields, and Bolmaro making two free throws. When Armoni Brooks hit a three, the run was 10-0 and Coach Pablo Laso was forced to call a time-out. Coming back from the huddle, Olimpia stole a ball mid-court for a Shields’ thunderous dunk that marked the first lead of the game. A quick back-and-forth followed than Armoni Brooks put on one of his shows, three after three on his way to score a career-high 31 points with seven threes. Olimpia took a five-point lead into the fourth quarter and kept extending it toward the end. “We used Bolmaro and Guduric as our ball handlers in order to have more pressure on the ball, more physicality because their guards hurt us in each and every way in the first half. We refused to lose and had a great second half with energy and defense. Shavon Shields didn’t score basically, and scoring is a big part of his game, but was a true captain, they way he defended, moved the ball and help his teammates,” Coach Peppe Poeta said.

Obviously, Olimpia – playing without its starting point-man Quinn Ellis – benefitted from the return of Leandro Bolmaro. “Obviously, he is our best defensive player on the perimeter and his energy is contagious,” Poeta added. Bolmaro came off the bench and scored four quick points to give Olimpia some rhythm in the first period after falling down 13-2 to start the game. He committed his second foul and that was a problem. But in the third quarter, he was all over the floor. He finished with 12 points and four assists, plus 23 with him on the court, the best value overall. Finally, Armoni Brooks had another showtime performance. He had 32 points of personal rating, 31 points and a team-high eight rebounds. “When a guard rebounds like that, that’s added value for the team. He is a riding a magical moment and his teammates are feeding him constantly, they trust him and help,” Poeta added.

“I feel the coaching staff trust, my teammates trust, they put me in a position to score and I’m doing it”, Armoni Brooks said. “Playing next to him and his shooting is much easier,” Marko Guduric added. He finished with 13 points, four rebounds and five assists. When the team struggled the most in the first half, with Bolmaro in foul trouble, Guduric was the one keeping the ship from sinking. He stayed on the court almost 31 minutes. Zach LeDay added 15 points and Josh Nebo went 4-for-5 from the field.