By Antonis Stroggylakis / info@eurohoops.net
Olimpia Milano coach Ettore Messina had plenty of reasons to be proud of his players after the win over CSKA Moscow in the third-place game of the 2021 EuroLeague Final Four.
First of all, there was the result itself and performance in the Final Four overall. Milano finished third in EuroLeague and completed the campaign with 25 wins, two days after falling one-shot shy of making the championship game. Another reason was the mentality of his guys who – despite their disappointment from the semifinal loss – carried a strong will and determination to end the season on a high note.
“We didn’t do something special,” Messina said when asked how he motivated his players ahead of the match. “We just talked among ourselves that it was a matter of pride and it was a matter of confirming to the rest of Europe that we were not here by accident. The good things that we did during the regular season and the playoffs and the semifinal wasn’t something that didn’t have any background.”
The third-place game isn’t particularly popular among players. “It’s hard to play when you play for nothing,” Milano guard Kevin Punter had said Saturday, some hours after his stunning performance against Barcelona.
A lot of players have agreed over the years that is far from easy to compete hard and give your all after a loss in the semifinal. Messina realized early that his men would put up a fight.
“I think the guys were extremely focused. Honestly, I had a good feeling they wanted to win the game right from the very first possessions,” Messina added.
Two of Milano’s veterans were the top contributors in the match. Vladimir Micov finished with 14 points while Sergio Rodriguez had 14 points, six assists and finishing with a team-high 16 in PIR.
According to Messina, Rodriguez wasn’t actually planned to stay on the floor for a long time. Yet the Spanish playmaker and two-time EuroLeague champion was also quite eager to help getting the victory.
“Even Chacho – who was going to play less according to my plans – wanted to play and wanted to win the game,” Messina said. “It was more their sense of responsibility and accountability that made everything happen one more time.”