The dramatic finale rewards Olimpia’s desire to secure a victory after a very difficult game, which at one point became a nightmare, 85-84. With 14 seconds left, down two, Zach LeDay, after Coach Poeta’s timeout, hits a potentially game-winning three-pointer. Udine had no timeouts left and was forced to get creative. Mirza Alibegovic, a key player alongside Andrea Calzavara throughout the game, ram the length of the court, reached his spot, and with Pippo Ricci’s hand plastered across his face, launched a three-pointer with his eyes closed that gained the lead back for Udine. But with only 2.2 seconds left, Poeta still had a timeout to spend and advance the ball. Shields’s throw-in pass found Armoni Brooks in the corner. He had time to get the ball and shoot, turning, in one single motion. Brooks’s three-pointer simply found the bottom of the net, and Olimpia won 85-84.

It was a tough game, played without energy, looking for resources on the bench, especially Flaccadori and Dunston, changing rotations and line-ups just to take it to the finish line. Marko Guduric, a key player in the fourth quarter, fouled out and brought Brooks back in the game for the final minutes, and Olimpia won. Down by nine in the first half, up by seven in the third, back to nine points down after three periods, then up by five when the game looked secure for once. Udine, however, responded every time. But in the back-and-forth thta closed the game, Olimpia prevailed, winning its fifth consecutive Italian league win.