Olimpia completes its double game week, forced by the rescheduled game in Istanbul (the seventh of its season, there will be one more next week), by hosting Bayern Munich in the next to last home game of the EuroLeague season. Milan is coming off seven wins in its last eight games. Over this span only Olympiacos has done the same, but its only defeat was caused by Olimpia. Bayern obviously come to the game fresher, but it is true that Olimpia have won eight of the 13 games played in a “back to back” setting. And it’s obviously 6-1 since Shabazz Napier arrival. He has scored 54 points in his last two road wins, and averages 15.1 points per game with 4.2 fouls drawn, 39.1 percent shooting from three and 91.7 percent from the line. Olimpia should get back Shavon Shields, who has missed 24 whole games so far. But Devon Hall will miss his seventh consecutive game; Gigi Datome his 22nd; Kevin Pangos will reach 17 games missed. This was the main weight of a season in which Olimpia fell too fra behind in the first half to be able to compete for a place in the playoffs now.
REFEREES – Juan Carlos Garcia (Spain), Damir Javor (Croatia), Arturas Sukys (Lithuania).
COACH ETTORE MESSINA – “We are coming off a very good game in Istanbul, where we confirmed the progresses we made over the previous weeks. Now, we’d like to make another step forward, before our fans, against a very physical team, a team tough and deep, with many experienced players. We’ll need to move the ball, being patient in looking for the good shots, keep an high level of intensity on defense and pay attention to the rebounding battle, because Bayern is one of the best offensive rebounding team in the EuroLeague, with some great specialists, starting with Gillespie.”
BAYERN MUNICH – After reaching the playoffs in each of the last two seasons, despite retaining most of the core players, Bayern took a step back this season also paying the many injuries that the team suffered especially Vladimir Lucic’s 17 games of absences and the season-ending injury that deprived the team of Augustine Rubit after 20 games. During the season some adjustments have been made including the return of guard DJ Seeley (5.4 points per game) and forward Niels Giffey. The guards are still Corey Walden (8.6 points and 2.2 assist per game) and Nick Weiler-Babb (7.9 points and 3.7 rebounds per game), supported by Bosnian international Ognjen Jaramaz (averaging 6.5 points per game) and the American shooter Cassius Winston (11.1 points and 3.4 assists per game). Isaac Bonga, a German National Team player with some NBA experience, didn’t play in the Munich game. He is an all-around player, averaging 6.7 points and 4.2 rebounds per outing. The team most lethal shooter is Andreas Obst (8.6 points on 35.7 percent shooting from three); Vladimir Lucic is still the go-to guy. He is averaging 9.5 points per game and shooting 45.9 percent from three-point range. Giffey, a EuroLeague veteran, was signed to strengthen the forward spots, but he is doing much more, averaging 7.5 points per game on 50 percent three-point shooting. After losing Rubit, the starting power forward, Coach Trinchieri can use at the 4 spot Lucic, Niklas Wimberg, Paul Zipser (45.8 percent shooting on threes) and the newcomer Anthony Cheatham. The centers are the legendary Othello Hunter (7.8 points and 4.8 rebounds in his tenth season in the EuroLeague), who missed Bayern’s last game, and the athletic intimidator Freddie Gillespie, who is averaging just 4.4 points per game but adds 6.2 rebounds, 2.6 of them offensive.
BAYERN CONNECTION –Bayern coach, Andrea Trinchieri, was born in Milan and coached for Olimpia in the youth academy and as an assistant coach. During his career, he coached Kyle Hines in Veroli, Nicolò Melli in Bamberg, Deshaun Thomas in Munich. Thomas spent his last season with Bayern, scoring 346 points over 36 appearances. Kyle Hines played next to Othello Hunter in Moscow. Voigtmann is a National Team teammate of Andreas Obst and Isaac Bonga. Niels Giffey and Shabazz Napier played together at UConn and won two NCAA championships while there.
HISTORY VS BAYERN – The two teams faced each other 15 times, seven of them during the 2020/21 season when they squared off in the playoffs. The overall record is 9-6 in Olimpia’s favor, 7-1 in Milan and 3-5 in Munich. Olimpia won both games during the 2014/15 season and lost both times during the 2018/19 season. In the 2019/20 season, Olimpia won in Milan 79-78 coming back from 13 points behind in the fourth quarter and 20 points down in the second half. Vlado Micov scored 16 points. In 2020/21 season, Olimpia won in Munich 81-78 after an overtime with a Shavon Shields’ three with nine seconds left. Kyle Hines had 16 points and went 5-for-5 from the field. In the memorable 2021 playoff series, Olimpia won Game 1, 79-78, coming back from a 19-point deficit. The winning basket was scored by Zach LeDay who converted an alley-oop pass from out of bound by Malcolm Delaney. After winning Game 2, 80-69, and losing Game 3 85-79, Olimpia lost 85-82 Game 4 when it was its turn to give up a lead in the closing seconds. Game 5 was one for the ages. Shavon Shields had a 34-point career night, Olimpia dominated before attending the furious Bayern rally in the closing seconds that was stopped by the iconic Kyle Hines block over Wade Baldwin. Earlier this season, Olimpia prevailed in Munich 83-81 thanks to a corner three-pointer made by Billy Baron. Kevin Pangos had 13 points and 11 assists in that game, Nicolò Melli added 17 points and 29 of index rating. Eight of the 15 games played between these two teams have ended within a 3-point margin.
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 1.002. 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 10th best rebounder all-time, nine rebounds away from the ninth who is Bryant Dunston, another active player.
KYLE HINES NOTES – Kyle Hines is 21 defensive rebounds shy of 1.000 for his career. His streak of 105 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 10-4 when Billy Baron has scored in double digit. In the other two wins, he had nine points (in Munich), eight (vs Panathinaikos) and eight again in Istanbul. In Olimpia wins, Baron is averaging 14.6 points per game and is shooting 49.1 percent from three and 66.7% on twos.
