It didn’t look good in the first half when Olimpia scored just 25 points. On a second look it was a different story because in spite of having a nightmarish shooting night and a turnover-prone first half, Olimpia trailed by eight points. The team was able to wait for the storm to calm down. The second half was a whole different game. It started with a Shabazz Napier’s personal 5-0 run, a three and a drive. Olimpia reduced the deficit immediately and changed the outlook of Game 1 of the Italian league championship series. “The first half, we started bad, we had too many turnovers, we didn’t move the ball efficiently. Maybe unconsciously we expected the flow to come to us just like in the last series. Virtus’ defense was much more efficient. So, we need to do better form now on,” Coach Ettore Messina said commenting the 86-75 overtime win in Bologna. Olimpia leads the best-of-five series 1-0. Game 2 is scheduled to be played in Bologna on Saturday.

After Napier put Olimpia in the game. Shavon Shields begain his show, his 22 points over the last 25 minutes. Olimpia got within two points iin the first four minutes of the third quarter. Coach Luca Banchi called an early time-out. Coming back on the court, Devon Hall tied the game up and Shavon Shields made a transition three, his first field goal of the night, to give Olimpia the first lead of the series. The third quarter belonged to Shields. Olimpia built twice a five-point lead. Bologna responded with a four-point play by Belinelli. But Shields was on fire. When he made the buzzer-beating three, from the top of the key, Olimpia was leading by six, 54-48.

Obviously, fedding off the home crowd energy, Bologna came back. Olimpia momentarily responded with Napier and Hall. But the fourth period was less sharp at both ends of the floor. Isaia Cordinier used his atheticism and energy to attack the rim. The last three mintes were a fistfight. With 37 seconds left, Bologna led by three, the biggest lead of the second half for Virtus since Olimpia tied the game in the third. Coach Messina called a time-out and elected to inbound the ball from the offensive half court. Napier worked with the ball and his stepback three was a piece of modern art. Game tied, Lundberg missed his last shot, Napier drove again but his lay-up at the rime was blocked probably with some wrist contact by Pajola. So, it was an overtime game.

Over the last two seasons, Olimpia had lost six straight overtime games, three early in the season. This time, it was another story. Nicolò Melli started the last five minutes with a fade-away bank shot. Shields a few seconds later made another three. All of a sudden, Olimpia looked completely refreshed, totally in control. Defensively and offensively. Shields kept scoring. Devon Hall converted a three-point play. When Marco Belinelli made a huge three off a broken play to cut the lead to six, Kyle Hines grabbed a huge offensive rebounds, made a free throw and extended the lead to seven points, more than two possessions, essentially putting the final touch to a 86-75 win.