Reyer Venezia swept aside; Neven Spahija admits: “We’re tired”
Reyer Venezia collapsed in Game 2 of the championship series against Olimpia Milano, which ended 92-79, and Neven Spahija admits that at this point in the series, his team’s problems seem deep-rooted. “I can see my guys are really tired; the five minutes they played to close out the first half were insane. We were up 38-33, and they hit five three-pointers. We missed shots, and they made another one. But we don’t want to give up; we’re going back in front of our fans, and we don’t want to give up,” the Reyer coach said immediately after the game.
“Congratulations again to Olimpia Milano,” Spahija insisted. “For their victory, but also for the basketball they play. They’re deep, fresh, have tremendous quality, and perform at a high level. There’s a visible difference in quality. We played, but only until 38-33. From that moment on, within a few minutes, they did everything. But it doesn’t help that Reyer is really tired, since in our rotations we don’t have 12 players but 6 or 7 who really carry the load. I can’t say anything to my guys. We just have to try to recover some energy.”
The fatigue Spahija mentioned has deep roots in the Orogranata’s season. Reyer’s journey to this final has been long and grueling: the Lagunari only got the better of Derthona Tortona in the decisive Game 5 at the PalaTaliercio, winning 89-83, before eliminating defending champion Virtus Bologna in a hard-fought semifinal. It was precisely against the ‘Vu Nere’ Venice had to bring out its best, with Amedeo Tessitori scoring 22 points in the decisive Game 4, contributing to the sensational fourth-quarter comeback in which Reyer scored 33 points in the final ten minutes to overturn a ten-point deficit.
On the other side, Olimpia Milano heads into this final with the wind at its back and a roster depth that is proving devastating. Already in Game 1, a decisive 100-80 win at the Forum, a full 55 of the red-and-whites’ 100 points came off the bench. In particular, Diop and Mannion shone, scoring 18 and 17 points respectively, and were also praised by Coach Poeta in the post-game interview. A top-tier second unit that represents exactly the difference Spahija refers to when he highlights the gap between the two teams in terms of rotations.
It’s no coincidence that Leandro Bolmaro, one of EA7’s key players, had warned before the series began: “Venice is a great team and it will be a very tough series. Anything can happen in the finals, so we’ll have to take it one game at a time, one possession at a time.” The Argentine, the regular season’s Best Defender, is proving his quality on the court, leading a team aiming to cap off an extraordinary season after already winning the Super Cup and the Italian Cup—the latter by defeating Bertram Tortona 85-77 in the final.
For Reyer, the return to the PalaTaliercio in front of their own fans represents their last chance to turn around a series that is becoming an uphill battle. Spahija has already shown this season that he can come up with surprising tactical solutions—as in Game 1 of the semifinals, a road win against Virtus Bologna—and his ability to motivate a team on the ropes is beyond question. “When a team takes so many hits during the season, it’s tougher,” the Croatian coach had said after the elimination in Tortona, “they say in Croatia that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” Words that his players are now called upon to turn into reality on their home court.
