In Bologna, playing without one of its Big Three, Shavon Shields, kept out in order to try to get him back for next Thursday’s EuroLeague game against Fenerbahce, Olimpia played really well for 12 minutes, building a nine-point lead, but that was enough and finally lost 86-80. “Virtus won the game twice – Coach Ettore Messina said – They weren’t affected by our good start, didn’t get nervous and kept executing. The second time, in the third quarter when we came back tying the score up. We allowed Belinelli to make three transition threes, which is unheard of. It is disappointing after doing a nice job in several aspects of the game. In the fourth quarter we had again our chances but we missed too many open shots. However, we competed.”

Nikola Mirotic started the game on fire, scored 11 points in the first quarter. Olimpia started the game 10-3 and led by as many as eight points before Daniel Hackett completed a first period with a three on top of making two mid-range jumpers. Olimpia enlarged the lead to nine points early in the second. Suddenly, it stopped executing on offense, took too many threes. Bologna took the game over with a 18-2 run. At the half, Olimpia was down by four points. Bologna extended the margin to 13 in the third quarter and Olimpia came back one more time, finally tying the score at 55. Not only Belinelli but Matt Morgan too made the shots that allowed Bologna to regain the lead before the fourth quarter and never relished it. Olimpia was still in the game but never had the consistency to complete the comeback.