By Nikola Miloradovic / info@eurohoops.net
Olimpia Milano is on a four-game winning streak in the EuroLeague, and in the last two matches the team was guided by assistant coach Peppe Poeta, with head coach Ettore Messina sidelined due to persistent flu symptoms.
After the game, Poeta held the press conference and was asked about next season, as he is expected to take over the reins from Messina as Milano’s head coach.
“This year my task is to give the best possible help to Ettore [Messina] to make him end his coaching career in Milan in the best possible way, like a legend,” Poeta said.
Speaking about the win over Olympiacos at the Unipol Forum, Poeta expressed his joy with the final outcome.
“I’m incredibly happy for the boys because they played an incredible game, with impressive intensity for 40 minutes, dictating the pace of the game and shooting with extreme confidence. We were playing against one of the best defenses in the EuroLeague, but not this year, but in recent seasons. So they were incredible, and so was the crowd, which gave us a huge hand. It’s great to see the Forum so engaged and involved. We even scored some tough shots towards the end, and that’s what gave us the win.”
He also spoke in detail about the decisive minutes.
“When they went with Vezenkov and Peters together, a move they don’t normally use, we had a six-seven-point lead, so I focused primarily on defense. Ricci and Bolmaro did a fantastic job throughout the game, but especially towards the end. This also gave us the opportunity to play some isolation plays, because without a strong center behind them, they might have been less solid than usual. They were two different games, but they came away with two home wins, and this is a victory we really needed,” Poeta concluded.