Olimpia used a dominant start to the fourth quarter to turn a consistent but limited lead into a huge gap that Fenerbahce couldn’t make up for. In the end, it won the third straight EuroLeague game, the fifth of the last six, 91-85. The six-point margin is not reflective of the game. Olimpia led by as many as 17 points in the fourth when fenerbahce desperately launch an all-out assault, making three after three, but was never threatening. Nikola Mirotic had one of his best performance since coming to Milan, if not the best. He scored 29 points, 18 in the first half, and grabbed nine rebounds. He was all over the floor, even defensively. He carried the load on offense in the entire first half, when Neno Dimitrijevic was the best at helping him taking some scoring load himself. In the second half the effort was more balanced, the ball moved quicky and many different players helped, starting with another dominating finish by Zach LeDay. He had five points in the first half, 14 in the second, going 7-for-7 from the line, making some timely field goals. The one-two Olimpia punch struck again. After combining for 42 points against Maccabi, they added 48 in Istanbul.
Olimpia entered the fourth quarter leading by three. After a Wade Baldwin jumper that erased a Pippo Ricci at-the-rim basket, Fabien Causeur hit a corner three and Armoni Brooks did the same form the same corner seconds later, drawing a foul in the act of shooting and converting a 4-point play. After it, Olimpia took off. A 11-1 run decided the game. At one point it was 17-3. Game over.
Olimpia came to Istanbul knowing that Fenerbahce had the best defense in the league and the best rebounding team and used to hold opponent to 27 percent three-point shooting. But it was Olimpia the team that dictated the tempo and the game, making ten threes, shooting 38,5 percent on threes, winning the rebounding battle and dishing 22 dimes (Nico Mannion had six despite a scoreless night, Dimitrijevic added four).
Fenerbahce took the lead with an impressive 7-0 run to start the third quarter. A four-point deficit quickly became a three-point lead. Mirotic came to work: he completed a three-point play, added a three, so his 6-0 personal run gave the lead back to Milan. After that. Fenerbahce tied the game a couple of times but never regained the lead. The third quarter finished with a 4-0 Olimpia run that ignited the great fourth quarter.
