Returning from Monte Carlo where they scored 98 points and had six men into double figures, practically dominating the game for 40 minutes, Olimpia is called upon to another big-time challenge, against Fenerbahce, one of the hottest teams, or perhaps the hottest in the competition. It seems like a twist of fate, because Monaco was facing Olimpia coming off eight consecutive wins and had been the best team over the last segment of the season. Now the baton passes to Fenerbahce who have just beaten Barcelona, have won seven of the last ten and have a spectacular home record, the best overall, 14-1. Olimpia was one of the most difficult teams for Fenerbahce to defeat on its home court: in the season debut, Olimpia lost after an overtime, even though it was October and for example Fenerbahce had another coach, Dimitris Itoudis, who was eventually replaced by Sarunas Jasikevicius. This time, however, the game will be played in Milan, where Olimpia has won six of the last seven game played. It is also true that Olimpia has not beaten Fenerbahce at home since the 2019/20 season while they beat them three times in a row in Istanbul. Another weird statistic. Fenerbahce should be at full strength: against Barcelona, they were able to keep Nate Sestina off the roster because Dyshawn Pierre returned. Olimpia practiced at the Forum’s Oakley Training Center in the late morning. Compared to the Monaco game, Maodo Lo’s condition needs to be assessed. He was hit hard on the left thigh in Monte Carlo. He is questionable for the game. Tip-off time is 20:30.
THE REFEREES – Carlos Peruga (Spain), Milan Nedovic (Serbia), Maxime Boubert (France).
COACH ETTORE MESSINA – “We will face one of the healthiest team in the EuroLeague. They are playing with a high degree of efficiency both offensively and defensively. We are aware of it, but we fully intend to build on the very good game we had in Monaco, approaching this challege with humility and at the same time extreme determination.”
FENERBAHCE OUTLOOK – Fenerbahce is one of the teams that changed coach during the season by replacing Dimitris Itoudis with Sarunas Jasikevicius. The team is in full battle to secure a direct place in the playoffs, possibly with home-court advantage in its favor. This is a very experienced team. Nick Calathes is first ever in assists and steals in the EuroLeague and this year too he is producing, alongside 6.8 points per game, 3.8 rebounds and 4.9 assists in less than 22 minutes on the court. The guard is Scottie Wilbekin, one of the best shooters in the competition for years, 13.3 points with 40.5 percent from three, as well as 3.5 assists on average. The forwards are the Canadian Dyshawn Pierre (6.0 points and 5.2 rebounds on average) who however had an injury that forced him to miss a total of 13 games, and Nigel Hayes-Davis, another veteran who is averaging 13.3 points per game with 58.9 shooting on twos and 35.3 percent from three. Hayes-Davis, who averages 31.4 minutes on the court, also grabs 4.9 rebounds per game. There are many options at the center spot: the Turkish Sertac Sanli (4.9 points per game) has had 10 appearances as a starter, one more than Georgios Papagiannis (6.0 points per game, 65.4 percent from two); Johnathan Motley has 15 (averaging 11.7 points and 4.3 rebounds), who is very dangerous under the board (2.0 offensive rebounds). Off the bench, the players with the most impact are the Serbian Marko Guduric (8.6 points per game) and the shooter Tyler Dorsey (9.5 points per game on 46.7 percent shooting on threes). Among the guards, Yam Madar also helps (4.7 points and 2.0 assists on average). Among the forwards, Tarik Biberovic is producing a remarkable season (6.9 points, 56.6 percent from three) while the Frenchman Amine Noua has recently arrived and is helping the team a lot (6.9 points per game, 3.6 rebounds, 72.2 percent on twos and 46.2 percent from three). There is also a place on the bench for Nate Sestina (3.0 points per game, 65.0 percent from two) and, if needed, for the veteran Melih Mahmutoglu, who has won over 200 EuroLeague games, all with the Fenerbahce jersey on.
HISTORY VS FENERBAHCE – The two teams faced each other for the first time during the 1995/96 Korac Cup with Olimpia winning both times; in 1996/97, they faced each other in the first round of the EuroLeague with two more wins for Olimpia. In 2011/12 they faced again, in the Top 16, and Fenerbahce won in Istanbul 65-63 but lost in Milan 85-72 (27 points were scored by Malik Hairston). In 2013/14, Olimpia won in Milan 90-85 (17 points by Daniel Hackett) and then repeated in Istanbul 82-73 with 16 points scored by David Moss and 13 more coming from Alessandro Gentile. Fenerbahce then won ten consecutive games between the two teams, before losing the first leg of the 2019/20 season in Milan 87-74. In that game there were 22 points by Sergio Rodriguez. Over the following three seasons the clash had unusual results: Fenerbahce won the last three games played in Milan, but Olimpia won the last three games played in Istanbul. The series has been broken this season when Fenerbahce defeated Olimpia after an overtime. Overall, the record is 11-16, 6-8 in Istanbul and 5-8 in Milan; 9-16 counting only the top competition and 7-16 counting only the EuroLeague era.
THE FENERBAHCE CONNECTION – Nicolò Melli played two years at Fenerbahce between 2017 and 2019 playing 72 games including the EuroLeague final game in 2018 and the Final Four in 2019. Melli scored 583 points for Fenerbahce in the EuroLeague with 325 rebounds captured. He also won a Turkish title and a Turkish Cup.
NICOLO’ MELLI NOTES – Nicolò Melli climbed the chart of the all-time defensive rebounders in the EuroLeague, surpassing Georgios Printezis and Felipe Reyes. Melli now boasts 1,114 defensive rebounds, 50 less than Ioannis Bourosis, who was his teammate for two years at Olimpia. Melli is also eighth in total rebounds with 1,482.
SHAVON SHIELDS NOTES – Shields is the Olimpia all-time leader in the EuroLeague with 1.298 points scored. He just replaced at the top the great Bob McAdoo. Over the last 18 EuroLeague games, he has made at least two three-pointers 16 times and 12 times he had at least three. On top of it, he has 167 made threes, two behind the all-time leader Sergio Rodriguez (169) and one less than Vlado Micov’s 168. So, he can make history in this regard too.
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