Olimpia Milano opened the Italian basketball season with a statement, beating Reyer Venezia 94-87 in the Italy Super Cup on 20 September 2026. In a game that stayed close for three quarters before Milano pulled away in the final minutes, the biancorossi showed the kind of late-game composure that has defined their recent domestic dominance, while Venezia left the floor with plenty of encouragement despite the defeat.

Match Overview

The Super Cup meeting between two of Serie A's most consistent contenders delivered exactly what the neutral fan hoped for: a fast, physical, well-coached basketball game with real stakes attached to it. Milano controlled the tempo for long stretches, but Venezia kept answering with timely three-point shooting and second-chance points, trimming a double-digit deficit more than once in the second half.

The final score of 94-87 does not fully capture how tight the contest felt. It was a two-possession game inside the last three minutes, and only a late Milano run — built on defensive stops and free throws — put the result beyond doubt.

Quarter-by-Quarter Breakdown

• First quarter: Milano 24-22 — a high-tempo opening with both teams shooting well from the perimeter.
• Second quarter: Milano 22-18 — Milano's bench gave them separation, taking a 46-40 lead into halftime.
• Third quarter: Reyer Venezia 24-21 — Venezia's best spell of the night cut the gap to 67-64.
• Fourth quarter: Milano 27-23 — the decisive run arrived in the final five minutes.

How the Game Unfolded

Milano came out with a clear plan: attack the paint early, then punish Venezia's help defence with kick-out threes. It worked for much of the first half. The visitors moved the ball sharply and found open shooters on the weak side, building a lead that hovered around eight points for most of the second quarter.

Venezia, however, refused to let the game slip away. Their guards pushed the pace after made baskets, and their big men worked hard on the offensive glass to create extra possessions. A 9-0 run midway through the third quarter brought the home crowd to life and forced Milano into a timeout with the margin down to a single possession.

From there, the game turned into a half-court battle. Milano slowed things down, went back to their pick-and-roll game, and repeatedly found mismatches inside. Venezia's shooting cooled in the closing minutes, and Milano's defensive rebounding — a weakness earlier in the night — finally held up when it mattered.

Key Moments

• Late third quarter: A transition dunk capped Venezia's comeback run and made it a one-point game heading into the final period.
• Six minutes left: Milano's captain knocked down a contested mid-range jumper to stop the bleeding and restore a two-possession cushion.
• Final three minutes: Back-to-back defensive stops, followed by a corner three, effectively decided the game at 88-80.
• Closing seconds: Milano iced the result at the free-throw line, finishing 94-87.

Tactical Story

The matchup hinged on Milano's ability to punish Venezia's switching defence. Every time Venezia switched a smaller defender onto a Milano big, the ball went inside immediately, either for a post score or a foul. That strategy generated a steady stream of free throws and kept Venezia's frontcourt in foul trouble.

Venezia's counter was intelligent: they sped the game up, attacked early in the shot clock, and used their depth to keep legs fresh. It nearly worked. The difference in the end was execution in the half-court, where Milano's shot quality was simply better over 40 minutes.

Standout Players

• Shavon Shields (Olimpia Milano): 22 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists — the most reliable offensive option on the floor, especially in the fourth quarter.
• Zach LeDay (Olimpia Milano): 18 points and 8 rebounds, doing most of his damage inside and at the free-throw line.
• Nicolò Melli (Olimpia Milano): 12 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks, anchoring the defence in the closing stretch.
• Mfiondu Kabengele (Reyer Venezia): 19 points and 10 rebounds in a strong two-way performance that kept his team in the game.
• Marco Spissu (Reyer Venezia): 16 points and 7 assists, setting the tempo and hitting several tough shots off the dribble.

What It Means for the Season

The Italy Super Cup is an early-season trophy, but it carries real weight as a marker of readiness. For Milano, lifting it again underlines their status as the benchmark in Italian basketball and gives them momentum heading into the