Coach Messina: We worked to be here again, we have great respect for Efes, but we can try
Melli: Efes is the reigning European Champion and we know well that it is able to beat any opponent. But we can do the same, so I expect a nice series
After a 21-win season, 10 of them earned on the road, and after achieving the stated goal of clinching a playoff berth for the second consecutive year, and again with home court advantage, Olimpia will attempt to clear the highest hurdle and conquer its second straight Final Four trip by beating the defending champions of Efes Istanbul, the team that took part in each of the last two championship games and won 66 out of 84 games over the previous three regular seasons. The grade of difficulty is sky high since, during its dynasty, Efes has kept its core group of players virtually intact under Coach Ergin Ataman. Compared to the team that won the EuroLeague in Cologne, the only missing player is center Sertac Sanli, replaced by Filip Petrusev, while during the season Elijah Bryant came to fortify a guards’ rotation historically lethal (Micic and Larkin are combining for 32.7 points per game).
Olimpia has won the two regular season games, although the first one was way back in time. Last month Istanbul’s game was won with a prodigious second half comeback. It was an exceptional feat that offers a correct idea of how well it is required to play to try to beat Efes, the EuroLeague second best team in scoring (83.1), third best in two-point shooting and fifth best in three-point shooting, equipped with depth and experience. Olimpia had the best EuroLeague defense: it allowed 72.0 points per game, was also second best in three-point shooting defense and third best in two-point shooting defense. The team that won in Istanbul had Gigi Datome who is not going to be available this time around. Olimpia is also coming off a tough time, playing in the midst of a dangerous Covid outbreak within the team. Overall, it won six of the last 10 games and was consistent throughout the season; Efes’ record during the same span was identical (among playoff’s teams Olympiacos and AS Monaco were the best with a 8-2 record and they are facing each other. The series is at the best of five with the first two games to be played in Milano. Should Game 5 be necessary it will be played in Milano again on Wednesday 4 May. Since the playoffs are played with this five-game format, 13 times a Game 5 has been required, three of them last season alone, an all-time high. Game 1 tip-off time is 19:00, on Tuesday, April 19.
COACH ETTORE MESSINA – "It is the moment for which we have worked hard all year long, after another wonderful regular season that we are greatly satisfied with. Qualifying for the playoffs was our primary goal because we want to give consistency to our presence at these levels now and in the future. We face the European Champions with great respect, knowing that the two wins achieved during the regular season must not deceive us but at the same time they can give us the confidence of knowing that there are probably things we dan do well and can help us try to win this first game. Even if it’s a series, it will be important to mentally face one game at a time."
PLAYOFF NOTES –It is Olimpia’s third participation to the EuroLeague playoffs. Efes is the third different opponent, after Maccabi and Bayern. Olimpia has always had home court advantage. Overall, it is 1-1 in the series, 4-5 in single games, 4-1 at home, 0-4 on the road. Kyle Hines enters the playoffs tied with Georgios Printezis of Olympiacos Piraeus for fourth in playoff history with 149 total rebounds. Ioannis Bourousis is third with 161. Hines ranks second in playoff history with 69 offensive rebounds. Felipe Reyes is the all-time playoffs leader with 80. He is also tied for third in playoff history with 21 blocks. Ioannis Bourousis is second with 26. Sergio Rodriguez ranks ninth in playoff history in scoring with 324 points. Dimitris Diamantidis is eighth with 328 and Nando De Colo of Fenerbahce Istanbul seventh with 329. Rodriguez ranks fourth in playoff history with 57 three-point shots made. Vassilis Spanoulis is third with 63. He finally ranks ninth in playoff history in assists with 114. Theo Papaloukas is eigthh with 115.
Olimpia has won the two regular season games, although the first one was way back in time. Last month Istanbul’s game was won with a prodigious second half comeback. It was an exceptional feat that offers a correct idea of how well it is required to play to try to beat Efes, the EuroLeague second best team in scoring (83.1), third best in two-point shooting and fifth best in three-point shooting, equipped with depth and experience. Olimpia had the best EuroLeague defense: it allowed 72.0 points per game, was also second best in three-point shooting defense and third best in two-point shooting defense. The team that won in Istanbul had Gigi Datome who is not going to be available this time around. Olimpia is also coming off a tough time, playing in the midst of a dangerous Covid outbreak within the team. Overall, it won six of the last 10 games and was consistent throughout the season; Efes’ record during the same span was identical (among playoff’s teams Olympiacos and AS Monaco were the best with a 8-2 record and they are facing each other. The series is at the best of five with the first two games to be played in Milano. Should Game 5 be necessary it will be played in Milano again on Wednesday 4 May. Since the playoffs are played with this five-game format, 13 times a Game 5 has been required, three of them last season alone, an all-time high. Game 1 tip-off time is 19:00, on Tuesday, April 19.
COACH ETTORE MESSINA – "It is the moment for which we have worked hard all year long, after another wonderful regular season that we are greatly satisfied with. Qualifying for the playoffs was our primary goal because we want to give consistency to our presence at these levels now and in the future. We face the European Champions with great respect, knowing that the two wins achieved during the regular season must not deceive us but at the same time they can give us the confidence of knowing that there are probably things we dan do well and can help us try to win this first game. Even if it’s a series, it will be important to mentally face one game at a time."
PLAYOFF NOTES –It is Olimpia’s third participation to the EuroLeague playoffs. Efes is the third different opponent, after Maccabi and Bayern. Olimpia has always had home court advantage. Overall, it is 1-1 in the series, 4-5 in single games, 4-1 at home, 0-4 on the road. Kyle Hines enters the playoffs tied with Georgios Printezis of Olympiacos Piraeus for fourth in playoff history with 149 total rebounds. Ioannis Bourousis is third with 161. Hines ranks second in playoff history with 69 offensive rebounds. Felipe Reyes is the all-time playoffs leader with 80. He is also tied for third in playoff history with 21 blocks. Ioannis Bourousis is second with 26. Sergio Rodriguez ranks ninth in playoff history in scoring with 324 points. Dimitris Diamantidis is eighth with 328 and Nando De Colo of Fenerbahce Istanbul seventh with 329. Rodriguez ranks fourth in playoff history with 57 three-point shots made. Vassilis Spanoulis is third with 63. He finally ranks ninth in playoff history in assists with 114. Theo Papaloukas is eigthh with 115.
Fonte: Olimpia Milano.