Amedeo Della Valle frightens Olimpia Milan

The words of Mario Fioretti

Although it is day number 23 out of 30 games, for Olimpia the one in Brescia represents the third last away game of the regular season. In fact, in the last seven games it will play five times at home, traveling only to go to Verona and Tortona. Olimpia must defend second place from the onslaught of Tortona, which is one win away, and it can still chase first place, also one win away (in the head-to-head matchups, Milan has the advantage over Bologna in the event of a tie). The game, however, is complicated, as the record says: Olimpia struggled to beat Brescia at home and lost the quarterfinal played in Turin. It will be played in a sold-out facility, as is almost always the case on the road, and Brescia is playing for its last chance to retake the playoffs in extremis. Finally, Olimpia has played two tough EuroLeague contests and will face this game less than 48 hours after the previous engagement and another 48 hours away from the next one, away in Istanbul. Still absent among the foreigners will be Devon Hall and Kevin Pangos; among the Italians Gigi Datome and Paul Biligha. Tommaso Baldasso had flu problems during the week but is available.

“We face the team that just won the Italian Cup. We are aware of how much quality and depth they have on their roster. For us it’s first of all about paying great attention to their guards especially Della Valle and Petrucelli who are the engine of their game system,” Mario Fioretti, Ettore Messina’s deputy, said on the eve of the game.