It was a great answer, a terrific comeback that generated a 89-78 triumph in Kaunas. Olimpia responded with heart and soul to the disappointing Munich loss, to missing three starters – Lorenzo Brown was a late scratch because of a calf injury – and to going down by 16 points in the middle of the second period. From that point on – trailing 31-15 – Olimpia played terrific defense and outstanding offense. “We adjusted to the physicality of the game, it took one quarter probably, so we started to control the rebounds late and offensively we played with poise and scored 89 points to one of the better defense of the EuroLeague,” Coach Messina said at the end.
Olimpia did a great job on Sylvain Francisco because primarily of Leandro Bolmaro, but even when he went out with two fouls, Shields and Ellis managed to keep him under check holding the French speedster scoreless in the first half. But Aras Butkevicius, the Lithuanian sharpshooter, came off the bench and was absoultely crazy. He started with two threes then at the end of a first quarter that was close, on a steal, stopped right before the three-point line and made his third three of the night opening a eight-point margin, 21-13. His show continued in the second quarter. He made three consecutive threes and launched Zalgiris up 31-15. Olimpia was on the verge of a knock-out. Looked to be.
Instead, Shavon Shields took the team under his wing, as a perfect captain. He scored on a drive, made three free throws and completed a three-point play shrinking the deficit to a more reasonable eight points. Finally, Olimpia started to play with confidence. Butkevicius’ sixth three of the night (he had 20 points in the first half but was scoreless in the second) didn’t turn momentum around. Mannion scored a three, Shields scored a three and Guduric scored a three. It was a 9-0 run and Olimpia suddenly was behind by just to points. After Coach Masiulis spent a time-out, Pippo Ricci started his career night with a corner three that put Olimpia ahead before trailing by three, 42-39 early in the third.
In the second half, Olimpia trailed by as many as five points a couple of time, but found a way to tie the score up multiple times despite Azuolas Tubelis, the former Arizona star, scoring nine points in the first three minutes and half of the third period. Pippo Ricci hit the ground running. He made two threes and combined with Devin Booker to stay close. Bolmaro hit a three himself playing with foul trouble like Shields. When Francisco saw light and made a transition three, Zalgiris rebuilt a three-point lead. And that was it for the greens. In the second part of the third, Ousmane Diop – playing well at the 4 – made two free throws, Guduric added two and Ellis scored on a drive. Olimpia entered in the fourth period ahead 63-61.
In the fourth, gradually, Olimpia took total control of the game. Zalgiris came within one after a Moses Wright three, then Quinn Ellis, the young gun, scored on a drive, made a step-back three and openend up a six-point lead. Ricci (he had a career-high 15 points and five threes, no misses) made another three, Shields scored on a dribble drive and Ellis too. Entering in the last five minutes of the game, Olimpia led by 11 points, a commanding lead that Zalgiris never threat again. Marko Guduric step-back missile closed the game off for good.
