The Italian Cup is coming home. For the ninth time. Olimpia won it by defeating Tortona in a tough championship game. First, Olimpia dominated, building a 17-point lead, then there was a lot of suffering, when it lost control of the tempo. Finally, it responded with great determination in the final quarter, led first by the eventual MVP Armoni Brooks (6 of 10 from three), then by Leandro Bolmaro’s majestic defense on Prentiss Hubb, including two steals converted into crucial field goals, and finally by the killer instinct showed by Marko Guduric (18 points on 6 of 7 from the field) in the 85-77 victory. The defense, especially in the second half, hindered Tortona’s shooting percentages, holding them to 45.9 percent from two and 32.0 percent from three. Tortona did well to come back with great energy originated by the offensive rebounds, despite the presence of Joshn Nebo (a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds). In the last part of the game, Coach Poeta even chose to leave out Shavon Shields, who had been devastating in the first two games, because the team had found its balance with Guduric, Bolmaro, and Brooks together. It was another show of strength. For the third time, Olimpia reaches the midseason with two trophies, the Super Cup and the Italian Cup: it had happened in 2017 and 2021, but the “Treble” has always eluded Milan. The team will try again this year. Meanwhile, it is the ninth Italian Cup, more than any other team, the 17th trophy under Armani ownership, the fifth Italian Cup in the fifth final over a six-year period.

For Coach Peppe Poeta, it is the fist championship of his young career. “We won because we refused to lose. It is more important than a willing to win. Our defense in the second half was outstanding so even wehen we didn’t score we stayed in the game. Eventually, our great players stepped up. With Armoni Brooks I have great chemistry since day one, all I did was let him play. Bolmaro, I understand how important he is for the team, so I’m thanking all the people working behind the scenese because they put him in a position to return from the last injury in record time. And finally let me speak about Shavon Shields: he is a true Captain. In the end, we were playing well without him and he was there telling me to not touch a thing and keep riding what was working.”