Olimpia didn’t make any difference. In Brescia, it dominated the game the same way Game 1 and 2 were dominated, maybe even more. At the end, the final score 96-86 didn’t tell the story of the game. Olimpia hit the ground running, went up 7-0 and never let the opponent come back seriously. Brescia tried, tried hard, but after trailing by as many as 19 points late in the first half, never came within less than eight points in the third and fourth quarters. Olimpia rebuilt its 19-point lead and closed the game easily. “It was a series we played the right way, we had a lot of cohesion since the beginning, we helped each other, we were willing to pass the ball. Those are the ingredient that are necessary to win this kind of games. A 3-0 win was unexpected. Brescia is a great team, they ahd a maervelous regular season,” Coach Ettore Messina.

Olimpia scored 32 points in the first quarter alone, led by 17 at the half after an attempt to come back by Brescia inspired by CJ Massinburg was frustrated by a Pippo Ricci’s three, a big steal made by Shabazz Napier and another three made by Shavon Shields. A 6-0 run that closed the first half fashionably. Brescia tried three times in the third quarter. Initially with the inside game of Miro Bilan; later with a Kenny Gabriel shooting show. Olimpia responded each and every time. Another sequence was huge. Johannes Voigtmann converted an offensive rebound, then made a block and Kyle Hines hit a buzzer beating three. So, Olimpia led again by 13 at the end of the third and cruised to the end, 96-86. Five players scored in double digit. “We decided to use one more guard with Billy Baron early in the playoffs – Coach Messina said – When he went down, Voigtmann was great at making himself ready to go. Ten, we had one less perimeter player, but Tonut was great as he has been all season long, Flaccadori is coming up strong and finally Pippo Ricci. With this type of team, we need hin at the 3-spot. It is not easy for him, but when he approaches it with the right deameanor for us is much easier to play.”

Olimpia made the Italian league chanpionship series for the fourth straight times. The last time it happened was in the Eighties and the dynasty team led on the court by Mike D’Antoni and Dino Meneghin. That team made the finals eight straight times. “After a hard season, reaching the last round is important and rewarding – Messina pointed out – However, everything will restart in a few days and the series willbe tough as always.”