Olimpia Milano, Fioretti doesn’t throw away Euroleague.

The words of Mario Fioretti

The first game in April is a historic event for Olimpia Milano because during halftime Coach Dan Peterson’s career will be celebrated and the jersey number 36, the year of the coach’s birth and the club’s founding, will be retired in his honor, a number no one has ever worn on the court. Opponent is Reyer, qualified for the Eurocup playoffs and in the hunt for a spot in the Italian league playoffs. Last week, beating Reggio Emilia and taking advantage of Trento’s fall, Reyer climbed to eighth place. Olimpia has lost its last two league games and is playing in defense of second place, the same place achieved last season at the end of the regular season. Returning from the long Istanbul-Tel Aviv trip, coming off a stringent game schedule (12 in March plus this one), it will, however, have the chance to reintegrate, with some minute restrictions, Devon Hall and Gigi Datome into the team. Paul Biligha remains the only injured player in the red and white group. Brandon Davies, on the other hand, will be unavailable due to a flu attack.

“We are playing against one of the teams in the league that boasts the deepest and most complete roster,” Mario Fioretti, Ettore Messina’s deputy, stressed on the eve of the game. “In the last period, Venice is playing with more pace so we will have to be good at limiting their offensive transition. They have many arrows in their bow and in all positions at least one player capable of changing the game. We want to restart from the second half in Tel Aviv by playing first of all a focused and aggressive defense.”