Now, the championship series has effectively become a best-of-three series. The difference compared to when it began is that two of these three are scheduled to be played in Milan. But it is an unprecedented situation compared to recent years when the final was at the best of seven. Two years ago, Olimpia regained home court advantage in Game 1 and won two consecutive games at home, but they were not potentially close-out games. In other words, starting tomorrow, both teams will play with a very high sense of urgency because whoever wins will have two match points. Olimpia had already found itself tied at one game apiece in the quarter-final series with Trento, but the next two games were on the road. Bologna has faced every Game 3 up 2-0. The first two games showed the superiority of the defenses over the offenses after both teams had expressed much greater efficiency in the previous two rounds. We’ll see if this trend changes or not. Olimpia played 40 high level minutes divided into two games: the last 25 of Game 1 and the first 15 of Game 2. Bologna changed the roster after the first game by subtracting a small forward in Ognjen Dobric to insert Jordan Mickey and increase the physicality inside as well as the depth of the bigs rotation. Olimpia had the most consistent player in Devon Hall (31 points in two games and five games in a row in double figure scoring) but its rotations were severely affected twice by fouls trouble, Nicolò Melli in Game 1 and Shabazz Napier in Game 2. Tornike Shengelia has been the most effective so far with 37 total points (he had 46 in the last two semi-final games against Venezia). But at this point the series will be decided by small things and details, perhaps unexpected performances. Meanwhile, all eyes are on Game 3 in a sold-out arena. Tip off time at 20:30.

GAME 3 REFEREES – Carmelo Paternicò, Michele Rossi, Lorenzo Baldini.

GAME 1 – Virtus led the entire first half, reaching an 11-point lead twice. Olimpia, resorting to its defense, limited the deficit by closing down by eight. In the third quarter, Olimpia played its best basketball, starting with 5-0 run and later tying the score up with a Devon Hall drive and taking the lead off a Shavon Shields three-pointer. At that point, Olimpia twice built a six-point lead including late in the third quarter with another Shields three-pointer. In the fourth period, Bologna went all-out. When Virtus took a three-point lead with Cordinier, Olimpia responded with a three by Shabazz Napier. The overtime had no history. First Nicolò Melli (eight points and seven rebounds) then Shields tore the game aprt. Shields finished with 25 points including 22 in the second half and overtime, with 6-for-7 from three. Napier scored 21 and Devon Hall 18. 86-75 was the final score.

GAME 2 – Olimpia dominated but did not capitalize enough in the first 15 minutes of the game when it led twice by 13 points. The game changed outlook over the last five minutes of the second period in which Bologna turned it around and with a three-point play by Achille Polonara closed the first half ahead by one point. The second half was a back and forth between the two teams. Virtus accumulated a five-point lead at the end of the third period. With a 6-0 run, Olimpia erased it. Then the game remained close for five minutes when Virtus again took control to win it 72-64.

GAME NOTES – Shavon Shields surpassed 600 points scored in the playoffs with Olimpia surpassing Dino Meneghin and becoming fifth all time behind Mike D’Antoni, Roberto Premier, Alessandro Gentile and Bob McAdoo. Shields also became the second-best scorer ever in the Italian championship series. He now has 467 for his career. Carlton Myers leads the league with 604… His six threes in Game 1 tied the club record for a championship series game which also belongs to Curtis Jerrells (2014) and Andrew Goudelock (2018). However, Shields hit his six three-pointers on seven attempts to Jerrells’ eight and Goudelock’s 10. The overall record belongs to David Rivers with eight, followed by David Logan with seven… The club record for threes made in a playoff game is held by Mike James with eight (on 12 attempts) in the 2019 semi-final loss against Sassari… Nicolò Melli has surpassed 100 defensive rebounds in the history of the Italian championship series, surpassing Gregor Fucka. He is now fourth all time behind Dino Meneghin, Shaun Stonerook and Riccardo Pittis… Nik Melli surpassed the 2,000 points scored in Serie A during Game 2. He also crossed the 1,000 defensive rebounds with Olimpia in the Italian league, fourth all time… The win in Game 1 broke Olimpia’s losing streak in games that ended in overtime which had reached six in the span of two seasons. This year Olimpia had lost in Istanbul and Munich after overtime. In the previous season, two of the four defeats had come against Virtus, the first in the Super Cup and then in Game 4 of the championship series… Game 1 was the first finals game in history in which the road team won in overtime, after eight consecutive defeats… In Game 1, Olimpia broke a streak of playoffs’ home wins for Virtus which had reached 14 games… In Game 1, for the first time this season two players have scored twenty or more points in the same game. This season it had happened four other times in the EuroLeague (three times Mirotic and Shields; once Mirotic and Voigtmann) … Kyle Hines in Game 3 will become the 75th player in history to have accumulated 100 appearances on the ourt for Olimpia in the Italian league.