Olimpia Milano, Dan Peterson bets on bench.

Dan Peterson’s words.

Dan Peterson spoke to Gazzetta dello Sport about the final between Olimpia Milano and Virtus Bologna: “As it often happens, someone will come from the bench to break everything. Like Gigi Datome did for Milan against Sassari.”

“Who is capable of doing that in this series? For Virtus: Alessandro Pajola, with his boa constrictor defense; Isaia Cordinier with his energy and versatility. For Olimpia, aside from Datome: Kyle Hines for his defense, his tap-ins, his blocks; Devon Hall for his three-point shooting and ability to get the defender under the basket and score in his face. Then, as always, form, injuries, luck and bad luck will decide….”

Last season, Ettore Messina’s team returned to win the Scudetto, snatching it from Virtus Segafredo Bologna’s jerseys. The “biancorossi,” who had finished second right behind Sergio Scariolo’s team in the regular season, immediately brought the court factor to their side in the final series and never let the Felsinians catch them again. In the Euroleague, Sergio Rodriguez (who said goodbye to the Red Shoes in the summer to return to Spain) and his teammates were eliminated by Ergin Ataman’s Anadolu Efes, who would win the tournament for the second year in a row.