An unexplainable collapse in the third quarter doomed Olimpia one more time, 79-73 in Istanbul. After a very promising first half, especially a thunderous second quarter with 29 points scored and Rodney McGruder (16 points at the end) hitting four consecutive threes before missing one, Olimpia led by nine at the half (the biggest lead was 12). But the third period was terrible, starting with three turnovers and a missed three, while Efes was scoring right and left. Coach Messina tried to stop the bleeding using two time-outs but it was a 30-7 run that turned a comfortable lead into a 14-point deficit. It was a weird game because once Olimpia looked lost, Johannes Voigtmann and Shavon Shields led the rally. Playing again at a very high level the deficit was erased in seven minutes. After two threes, Shields drove in the middle all the way to the bucket. The game was tied at 71 and Shields had even the chance to put Milan back in the lead with a free throw. However he missed the foul shot and at the other end of the court Will Clyburn after a quiet offensive night exploded with two straight threes. And now Olimpia had to surrender. “It is a season of missed opportunities. It is very difficult to explain how we lost the game because of a single quarter which was terrible. We had three good periods but we ruined the night with one. It’s been like that all season” Coach Messina said.