It was one of those nights. An epic one. Shorthanded as it was, with no Datome and no Melli, Olimpia used a “Next Man Up Mentality” and defeated the defending champions of Efes 73-66, with a fourth quarter for the ages. When Malcolm Delaney went down with an abdominal strain and Sergio Rodriguez, who scored 17 points, 11 of them in a full of energy first half, sprained his ankle, it looked like the game was over. Not so fast. Olimpia held the fort defensively, rode a legendary performance by Shavon Shields, 21 points, 19 in the second half, and found contributions everywhere. Pippo Ricci made a three to extend the lead to 10, Troy Daniels Ben Bentil and Devon Hall responded every time supporting the monumental Shields’ effort. In the end, Kyle Hines with two huge blocks at the rim, over Micic and Singleton, anchored the defense. The crowd was ecstatic. They loved every second of it.
“We are proud of what we have done, as a team group and as a club in general – Coach Ettore Messina said -. The crowd was fantastic. There was a wonderful connection. Our defense was excellent. Shields was splendid on offense. Tonight, after returning from the physical problems of a few months ago, Shields found his best game for talent, personality and consistency. I think the series is over because [Sergio] Rodriguez and [Malcolm] Delaney are very unlikely to be available. We will still go there to find a sporting miracle.”
Olimpia stayed close throughout the first half. Shavon Shields’ first jumper at the buzzer tied the score up at 33. The second half, Olimpia took an early lead with Shields scoring the first nine points before committing his third foul, and never gave it up until late in the fourth quarter when Delaney and Rodriguez went down in a span of minutes. “It is getting ridiculous,” Messina added. Efes took a four-point lead that Olimpia erased with a sequence of great possessions. Up by three, Shield converted a three-point play and that was it. The series at the best of five is now tied at 1. Game 3 and 4 are going to be played next week in Istanbul.
