Olimpia’s first match point is taking place in Reggio Emilia, on the road, and the so-called “closeout games” are always the hardest to win. During the first two games, Olimpia led for practically the entire 40 minutes of each game, and that’s encouraging. However, Reggiana never gave up and remained in the game, right to the fourth quarter. In Game 2, Coach Priftis used zone defense to clog the middle and slow the pace a little bit. This effectively allowed him to speculate on three-point shooting: Olimpia—who, for example, finished second in the EuroLeague in this category—is 13 of 47 from the arc so far. Having won two games with no support from long-range shooting is another positive fact, although it’s worth noting that in Game 1, Olimpia hit five three-pointers in the first quarter—which set the tone for the game—and in Game 2, when it needed it most, in the fourth quarter, they hit three three-pointers, two by Armoni Brooks and one came from Shavon Shields. So, the timing of the threes mattered more than the percentages. But this is Game 3, and both teams will try to squeeze what they have.
Game 3 will be played on Thursday, 21st, May, at 20:45 in Reggio Emilia.
COACH PEPPE POETA – “In Game 2, the best was our ability to hold our ground in difficult stretches thanks to our defense. We played one of the best defensive games of the year considering our opponents, who were held to 65 points. Then, compared to Game 1, we controlled the rebounds better, allowing them only six offensive boards. But they are a tough, strong team that doesn’t give up, and in Game 3 they will fight hard and approach the game as aggressively as possible”.
| Game 1 | Olimpia Milano-Reggiana 96-84 | Shavon Shields 19 |
| Game 2 | Olimpia Milano-Reggiana 77-65 | Shavon Shields 19 |
| Game 3 | Reggiana-Olimpia Milano | May 21 |
| Game 4* | Reggiana-Olimpia Milano | May 23 |
| Game 5* | Olimpia Milano-Reggiana | May 25 |
THE REBOUNDING FACTOR – Olimpia’s rebounding domination partially decided Game 2. The final reboudning score was 41-28, but more importantly, it was 16-6 on offense, where Olimpia earned the second chances needed to correct its shooting percentages. In Game 2, Reggio Emilia’s offensive rebounds in the third quarter prevented the deficit from widening. But overall, Olimpia has performed better so far and has been able to create more offensive opportunities through rebounding. Josh Nebo has been decisive so far, averaging 9.6 rebounds per game in two games.
THE TURNOVER FACTOR– Olimpia’s defensive performance in Game 2 is reflected in the opponent’s turnovers. Reggiana turned over the ball less than anybody else in the regular season, about 10 times per game. They had only nine turnovers in Game 1, but that number rose to 18 in Game 2.
THREE-POINT SHOOTING – It’s been the sour note of the first two games, despite often being the key to big wins this season. So far, Reggiana has been the most productive from the arc, averaging a staggering 30 three-pointers attempted and shooting 24-of-60 (40.0 percent), thanks largely to Riccardo Rossato (6-of-11), Tomas Woldetensae (6-of-10), and Luca Severini (3-of-5). Lowering their percentages could be the defense’s other goal. However, it’s difficult to take too much away from a well-organized team (the Caupain-Barford combo produced 41 points in Game 1, and the defense improved in Game 2: Reggio Emilia’s two forwards combined for 7-of-26 from the arc, so far).
BIG D – Ousmane Diop has been the perfect partner for Josh Nebo in the two Milano games. Above all, he’s used his physicality to earn 14 trips to the line in two games. Because of him, Olimpia has been able to have depth in its offense. The fact that Diop has been 13-of-14 from the line is another factor that has weighed heavily so far.
PLAYOFF SHAVON – Shavon Shields showed his playoff face in the first two games. In Game 2, he attacked the game, setting the tempo from the start (eight points in the first quarter), then finished it as a nominal point guard against the zone defense. In the final five minutes, he dished out two assists for Nebo, hit a mid-range jumper, and closed the game off with a three-pointer. He currently averages 19.0 points and 3.5 assists per game, shooting 58.8 percent from two and 40.0 percent from three.
GAME NOTES – Olimpia is now 217-143 in playoff games, 92-41 in individual quarterfinal games. Olimpia is now 59-19 against Reggio Emilia overall, 35-4 in Milan. On the road, the record is 21-12, also for Milano.
