Olimpia’s EuroLeague season ending In Bologna, Coach Messina: “Let’s finish on a high note”

The EuroLeague season is coming to an end in Bologna, in an All-Italian game with no standing’s implications, including finding out which Italian team will finish higher because Olimpia has a two-win advantage over Virtus. However, it is a EuroLeague game and both teams will try to approach it accordingly.  Olimpia is coming off a 12-game streak with nine wins. Over this span, nobody’s won more games. Virtus has lost the last five games. This game will connect the end of the EuroLeague season to the start of the Italian league playoffs, where the two teams are sitting at the top, separated by one more Virtus’ win. There won’t be limitations to the number of foreigner players put on the rosters. Regarding Olimpia, the only injured player as of now is Paul Biligha, but flu-like symptoms have created several problems lately. Stefano Tonut was not able to play the last two games, and at some point, beyond Davide Alviti, Brandon Davies, Johannes Voigtmann and Kevin Pangos had to sit out some practices. Today Shabazz Napier and Nicolò Melli were stopped by flu-like symtoms. Only for Napier there’s some remote chance of a recovery.

REFEREES – Juan Carlos Garcia (Spain), Emin Mogulkoc (Turkey), Fernando Rocha (Portugal).

COACH ETTORE MESSINA – "This is a game between two teams who wanted to play for a playoff berth and maybe have a chance to qualify right through this game. Unfortunately, it’s been a tough season, but we want to finish it on a high note and play one more good game, mostly to get prepared for the Italian league playoffs."

VIRTUS BOLOGNA – In the EuroLeague, Bologna has often changed its starting lineup. The most employed among the top five has been Mam Jaiteh with 32 starts out of 32 appearances (8.2 points, 4.8 rebounds on average, 58.3 percent on twos). Generally, Daniel Hackett is used as the starting point guard: a EuroLeague veteran, who won the championship in Moscow together along Kyle Hines, is averaging 5.8 points per game and is adding 2.7 assists. Semi Ojeleye is used at the small forward spot and with 10.6 points per game average he is the team leading scorer. For him there are high shooting percentages on twos (59.8 percent) and threes (46.6 percent). As a power forward, Scariolo’s choice is usually Toko Shengelia (9.2 points and 3.1 rebounds per game). The other guard in the starting lineup is generally the Danish Iffe Lundberg, 8.3 points, 57.4 percent shooting from two. He is one of the three former CSKA players in the Bologna roster. The team is deep especially among the perimeter players with Alessandro Pajola (3.1 points and 2.5 assists on average), Nico Mannion (5.9 points per game, 38.3 percent shooting from three), Marco Belinelli (8.9 points, 39.8 percent from three) and naturally Milos Teodosic (10.3 points and 6.0 assists per game) who has missed the last few games due to an injury. Isaia Cordinier, also recently injured, is a physical guard averaging 6.6 points per game. Kyle Weems provides depth at the small forward position (he averages 6.4 points per game, on 40.3 shooting from three), Awudu Abass plays both forward positions and finally Ismail Bako (6.2 points, 67.3 percent from two) and Jordan Mickey (7.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game) complete the rotation among the bigs.

HISTORY Vs BOLOGNA – In Milan, the record is 70-25 for Olimpia; in Bologna it is 37-58. The total is 109-85 in Olimpia’s favor. Obviously, all the games played in the Italian league between the two teams are included in this recap. Considering only the EuroLeague games, the record is 2-2. Olimpia won the 1997 round of 16, 2-1, winning Game 3 at home. This year the European precedent was in favor of Bologna which thus impacted the total count 2-2.

VIRTUS CONNECTION – Giampaolo Ricci has played in Bologna for two seasons, winning the 2021 Italian league championship as Captain. Daniel Hackett has played in Milano for two years, winning the 2014 Italian championship. Awudu Abass has played two seasons in Milano, from 2017 to 2019, winning the 2018 Italian championship and twice the Italian Supercup. However, he is injuried and won’t be able to play. Ettore Messina has been part of Virtus Bologna since 1983/84 when he was an assistant coach to Alberto Bucci when Virtus won the Italian league defeating Olimpia in the championship series. He became head coach before the 1989/90 season and stayed there until 1992/93. He returned in 1997 and stayed until 2002. With Virtus, he has won the Euroleague twice 81998 and 2001), the Cup of Cups’ winners in 1990, three times he led the team to the Italian championships (1993. 1998, 2001). Virtus Bologna’s coach, Sergio Scariolo has coached Olimpia for two years, from 2011 to 2013.

NICOLO’ MELLI NOTES – After becoming Olimpia Milan’s all-time leading rebounder in the EuroLeague, Nicolò Melli surpassed the 2.000-point scored barrier. He is the 20th player ever to have at least 2.000 points and 1.000 total rebounds. He has also grabbed his 1.000th defensive rebound. He is the sixth player ever to reach the feat. He has 1.015 now. Ante Tomic is in fifth place with 1.025. In Istanbul, he started a EuroLeague game for the 200th time, the 12th ever to start at least 200 games. Paulius Jankunas is leading the all-time list with 283. Melli is also the 9th best rebounder all-time.

KYLE HINES NOTES – Kyle Hines is 13 defensive rebounds shy of 1.000 for his career. His streak of 109 consecutive games player for Olimpia is still active. He is the fourth-ever in Olimpia per EuroLeague appearances behind Kaleb Tarczewski, Nicolò Melli and Vlado Micov.

BILLY BARON NOTES – Olimpia is 11-4 when Billy Baron has scored in double digit. In Olimpia wins, Baron is averaging 13.9 points per game and is shooting 49.6 percent from three and 67.5 percent on twos.