Olimpia got the win in its EuroLeague home opener after a 40-minute battle against Paris Basketball. 79-74 was the final score with Shavon Shields taking over in the second half. After scoring two points in the first, thanks to two free throws, he consistently attacked the paint in the second. He had 19 points and essentially won the game for Olimpia. Ha media a huge three and the decisive score with 21 seconds left in the game. “Our veterans made sure we stuck together and won the game. Our rookies struggled. It is much better to learn a lesson after a win,” Coach Ettore Messina said at the end.
Olimpia attempted to take a comfortable lead at least twice in the first half. Initially, when Nikola Mirotic hit the ground running scoring 10 points in the first quarter alone. Paris Basketball was able to respond every time and finally tooke the lead at the intermission. In the third quarter, Olimpia produce offensively but couldn’t get the job done defensively against the isolation play executed especially by TJ Shorts. A little run at the end, completed by a Stefano Tonut floater gave Olimpia a one-point margin entering the fourth. But the lead was canceled immediately and in the middle of the fourth Paris Basketball was leading by eight the biggest margin of the night.
This when Olimpia came up big, finally, at both ends of the floor. While Shields was all ver the floor, Zach LeDay made a couple of huge plays. And Pippo Ricci too. “He had a big impact, giving us size, help on penetrations, rebounding,” Coach Messina pointed out. Ricci tied the game up with two free throws, then Olimpia took the lead finally and closed the game off. “We found our defensive cohesion very late in the game, too late – Messina said – but tonight it was enough to win the game, which was important to break the ice, playing without Leandro Bolmaro and Josh Nebo.”
With only one point guard, Olimpia used Giordano Bortolani at the point early in the game and Causeur late. With no Josh Nebo and David McCormack in foul trouble all night Zach LeDay played most of his minutes at center, sustained by a good game by Ousmane Diop.
