Armoni Brooks’ 19.7 points per game over three games, 6-for-10 on threes in the final, and a 57.1 percent three-point shooting percentage in three days in Turin crowned him MVP of the 50th edition of the Italian Cup. But the raw numbers don’t tell the whole story; for example, they don’t tell the whole story of the impanct of certain shots. Great offensive players, those who can create from nothing, off isolation plays, are the ones who have a chance to take games over. Brooks had played an average game in the quarterfinal against Trieste. In that game, a key player was Ousmane Diop, used as a back-up center for Josh Nebo. Given his injury, it would have been legitimate for the coachins staff to consider reinstating Devin Booker alongside Nebo and removing a foreign player from the rotation. But it’s a possibility Coach Poeta never really considered, neither for Brooks nor for anyone else. The facts proved him more than right.

THE SEMIFINALS – In the second half of the offensive battle against Brescia, Olimpia took a lead midway through the third quarter on a three-pointer by Zach LeDay (one of the most consistent players over the three games), but Germani responded by rebuilding a five-point lead when Armoni Brooks entered the game for the first time in the second half. In the space of two possessions, he turned the game around. With two consecutive three-pointers, both off passes coming from Quinn Ellis, he put Olimpia back ahead. After a missed mid-range jumper, he closed the third quarter with his third three-pointer, for nine points in less than three minutes. Thanks to these three-pointers, Olimpia entered the fourth quarter with a four-point lead. With Brescia back within two, he hit a floater and another three-pointer. 14 points scored in five minutes on the court. The next return coincided with a difficult stretch when two consecutive turnovers brought Brescia back to within one, rekindling the pressure on Olimpia. Here, Brooks scored another seven points in a row: a drive, a three-pointer, and a mid-range jumper, rebuilding the six-point lead before that his final three-pointer sealed the game.

THE FINAL – Brooks entered the final for the first time when Olimpia was already playing at a very high level, leading by ten points. His two three-pointers in the opening quarter were the two that created the biggest lead, 17-point. His third three-pointer of the game, in the second period, restored the 15-point lead before he momentarily exited the game at 40-26. But here the momentum shifted, and upon his return, he was unable to slow down Tortona’s comeback, which closed the first half within two. In the third quarter, he returned to the court a little earlier than usual, with 5:59 left, Olimpia trailing by three. On offense, Olimpia was in the most difficult moment of its Final Eight weekend. When Coach Poeta called a timeout shortly afterward, Tortona was up six. Here, Brooks did two things that aren’t what he’s known for: he attacked off the dribble, made the entire defense collapse on him, and sent Nebo to dunk; on defense, he found himself guarding the big man on a switch, but he anticipated Prentiss Hubb’s inside pass and stole the ball. (“He’s improving as a defender, too; he just needs to be consistent,” Poeta said). In between, he had already hit a three-pointer and two free throws. This allowed Olimpia to close the third quarter within three. Tortona’s final lead, a basket by Paul Biligha, preceded a three-pointer to make it 70-68. The next one—after two defensive huge plays by Leandro Bolmaro—made it 77-70. There were still four minutes left on the Italian Cup, but Tortona never got any closer.

THE NUMBERS – In Italy, considering both the regular season and the Italian Cup, Brooks has a win-loss record of 17-5. He’s scoring 17.5 points per game in 24.3 minutes on the court, shooting 67.0 percent from two and 41.6 percent from three. His 72 three-pointers are a league-high, he’s shooting 81.4 percent from the free-throw line (90.0 percent in Turin), and he’s also averaging 4.2 rebounds per game. With him on the court, Olimpia is plus 106 points. In 11 of 22 games, he’s scored at least twenty points. In the EuroLeague, he’s had five of 28 games with at least twenty points, his points average is 13.0 per game. He’s shooting 53.8 percent from two, but he’s shooting even better from three, 43.8 percent, and his 78 three-pointers are again the most in the entire competition.