Olimpia emerges from a dull first half by playing a recovery with extreme energy, defends, turns the game around, first with a 12-0 that erases the initial problems and launches an impressive sprint, 87-74 over Efes. Armoni Brooks – career record of 31 points, seven more triples tonight – split a game that Leandro Bolmaro upon returning and Marko Guduric had kept in the balance. Down by eleven at halftime, Olimpia showed up with a different quintet, Bolmaro as the nominal playmaker and Nebo as the centre, to increase the pressure on the ball. The first possession allowed Zach LeDAy to score a three and from that moment the Milan defense took control of the game,
THE FIRST HALF – Olimpia starts softly, doesn’t score from the field in the first four minutes, is slow to come back, exposes itself to the opponent’s counterattack and penetrations from the wingers. He makes many small errors and falls to 13-2. Coach Poeta resorts to the bench earlier than usual. Leandro Bolmaro gives a jolt of energy. He scored twice in a row, the second on a steal by Brown. With Josh Nebo as a presence inside the area, Milan returns to within five, but is unable to give consistency to his effort plus Bolmaro commits the second foul. Triples from Weiler-Babb and Loyd dig nine points between the two teams, 26-17, at the end of the first quarter. Olimpia slipped to within 14 at the start of the second quarter after a triple by PJ Dozier. Then Guduric with a mid-range basket and a triple brings Milan back to within seven. But without defensive continuity it is impossible to get closer. At minus 11, Coach Poeta spends his second timeout. It resulted in two consecutive triples from Armano Brooks which were used to get back to minus six and then minus five. But Efes responds with its offensive execution, Olimpia fails to do much in defense and is down 49-38 at halftime.
THE SECOND HALF – Olimpia starts with a triple from LeDay, then Bolmaro scores two free throws and Nebo converts an alley-oop from Shields. When Brooks scores a triple, Coach Pablo Laso stops the game with Milan already one down. But upon returning, Olimpia steals the ball and Shields dunks for the first lead at 50-49. Efes gets back into rhythm with the penetrations of Saben Lee who overtakes twice and equalizes once from the foul line. Efes’ last advantage comes from Weiler-Babb on entry. Then it’s all Olimpia: LeDay scores another triple, Brooks makes two free throws, Booker one and at the end of the third it’s 62-57 Olimpia. In the fourth period after a mid-range jumper by Weiler-Babb, Olimpia extends further with Bolmaro and Guduric. After a block from Kai Jones, Brooks picks up the ball at the 24-second mark. His impressive outburst leads to a 16-point margin. Lee with a four-point game “stolen” from Ricci gives back some rhythm to Efes, enough to try the assault. Cole Swider closes the game to within nine but Olimpia makes no mistakes in attack after Coach Poeta’s time-out: LeDay scores a long two, Bolmaro does an acrobatics and the match is over, 87-74
