Olimpia achieved its goal in the first two games of the championship series, taking a 2-0 lead, but no series can be considered truly started until somebody wins on the road, according to a concept made famous and a little exaggerated by Pat Riley. So, the trip to Bologna for Game 3 and 4 starts with this goal obviously: to win on the road. However, the home crowd will make the atmosphere hot and, as Coach Ettore Messina anticipated, “it will be essential to isolate ourselves and play the best possible game”. That means playing better than in the first two games.
Virtus generally led in the first half, Olimpia took control of games in the second. In Game 1, Olimpia cruised to the win in the fourth quarter, in Game 2 it couldn’t maintain the margin, went behind for one possession, and prevailed again in the closing minutes. Game 1 was nothing like the quintessential finals game, a high-scoring battle consistent with what both teams did over the first two rounds. In Game 2 the intensity rose, both teams were more nervous, some adjustments were implemented and even the best players on the court lacked consistency throughout the game. The scoring dropped, the game was a physical battle, generally dictated by the defenses.
In the first two games, Olimpia shot better from three-point range and won the rebounding duel. These are conditions that Olimpia will have to try to replicate in Game 2, in addition to improving the consistency of both offense and defense, limiting turnovers, which could have been costly in Game 2. The difficulty of the game is obviously undisputed: Virtus in the playoffs has won 14 out of 15 home games over the last three seasons, the only defeat coming last year in Game 1 against Olimpia. Bologna will play with a sense of urgency that Olimpia will have to match.
To put everything in some historical perspective: Olimpia’s won its 200th playoff game ever, the first team to reach that milestone in history. Nicolò Melli has made his 113th block in the Italian league while playing for Olimpia and now sits in the third-place ever right above Riccardo Pittis, trailing only the greats Bob McAdoo and John Gianelli.
Tip-off time will be on Wednesday at 20:30, Game 4 will be played on Friday, same arena, same time. Milan left for Bologna right after practice on Tuesday.
