Olimpia won the previous closeout game, and it was played on the road, but historically, the game that potentially closes out a series is the most difficult to win. Olimpia is where it wanted to be, but now it has the urgency to close out the semifinal and reach its 23rd championship series. Brescia has already demonstrated solidity, strength, and identity, and they have CJ Massinburg back. In Game 3, they stayed well in the game for a good 24 minutes, then succumbed to Olimpia’s defensive pressure. The story of Game 3 was similar to that of Game 1. At halftime, Olimpia had a three-point lead in Game 1 and a one-point lead in Game 2, margins that reflect a tight-knit battle. That balance was then shattered by defense, control of rebounds, and the ability to run on the break for easy baskets. After the game, Coach Poeta emphasized this: “Against Brescia, who clogs the lane, you become effective if you shoot well from outside, like we did in the Italian Cup and in Game 1. Before Flaccadori’s two three-pointers in the fourth quarter, we were shooting poorly tonight but we were able to run on the break. But to do that, you have to defend even better and harder.” Defense was the key to the Game 3 win: compared to previous games, it was less effective against Jason Burnell, especially in the first half, and against Maurice Ndour and his mid-range shot, but much more so against Brescia’s ball handlers. Amedeo Della Valle is fueling his superlative season, but in the second half he scored six points after getting 13 in the first, and this time Nikola Ivanovic was less impactful.
Game 4 is going to be played on Friday, June 5th, at 20:00 in Unipol Forum in Milano.
COACH PEPPE POETA – “The game that can close a series is always the most difficult to achieve, especially against an experienced and spirited team like Brescia. We must prepare to play our best game of the series, also counting on the support of our fans, as always happens in these moments.”.
THIRD QUARTER FACTOR – Olimpia has been at its best so far in the third quarter, after returning from the locker room. Overall, in the three games, Olimpia has outscored Brescia 70-41 in the third periods: 23-13 in Game 1, 24-18 in Game 2, and 23-10 in Game 3. The most notable aspect of the Game 3 run is that it was achieved by adapting the rotation to the situation, so Coach Poeta kept his starters on the court for over eight minutes, just finishing the period with Mannion, Bolmaro, and Guduric alongside Brooks and LeDay. For example, Bolmaro had no real role in the 23-10 decisive run.
LEANDRO BOLMARO – His streak of consecutive double-digit games has reached ten. In Game 3, he was once again devastating on both ends of the court, but his true merit in the second half was in delivering the knockout blow to Brescia in the fourth quarter. Olimpia, once it gained a lead in both Game 1 and Game 3, had the killer instinct to close out the game. His impact was decisive. He’s averaging 16.3 points per game in the series, a further increase from his 12.3 points per game in the quarterfinals.
DEFENSE – In the decisive third quarter, Brescia shot two free throws. In the first game of the series, they had attempted 15, and in Game 3, they increased to 20, more in line with their season averages. The 42 free throws attempted in Game 2 remain an anomaly. Olimpia worked well in Game 3 to spend their fouls wisely, preventing Brescia from scoring from the line. For example, there was only one foul on a three-pointer, compared to the four called in Game 2.
GAME NOTES – In Game 3, Armoni Brooks became the 60th player in history to score more than 1,000 points for Olimpia. He now has 1,007. Pippo Ricci’s next game will be his 193rd in the league with Olimpia, moving him into the Top 25 all-time, joining Marco Mordente. Zach LeDay will become the 79th player with at least 100 appearances. For the third time in the playoffs, Josh Nebo grabbed at least ten rebounds. He had done so twice in the quarterfinals, but the 12 against Brescia are his most in this series.
