Dominant, despite being depleted!
Although played with a roster of just eight players, Olympiacos easily beat PAOK at the SEF 77-62, for the 16th day of the Basket League.
The 'red & whites' - playing throughout the game with line-ups formed by necessity - were late in finding their footing. Bad shooting (4/11 2-pointers and 0/8 3-pointers) allowed the guests to lead by 6 (6-12 at 8'). However, primarily good defense kept our team in the game (12-14 at 10'), while the second quarter was a different story... Olympiacos put pressure in defense, sped up in offense, made good decisions and with Alec Peters in a protagonist role - who played non-stop from the jump-ball through 36' - replied with a partial 30-15 and closed the first half at +13 (42-29).
PAOK found target from the perimeter and closed in to 8p. (49-41) at 26', but the reaction by Bartzokas' players was imminent. Isaiah Canaan and Ignas Brazdeikis responded with threes of their own and the margin went sky-high to 22p. (65-43) at 31'. The guests tried once again to make a come back and running a 9-0 streak closed in to 13p. (65-52) at 35'. Brazdeikis and Canaan though once again showed up at the three-point line and with a partial 8-0 finished the job (73-52 a t37').
The absentees...
The list of injured players and that of those who were not eligible to play was bigger than the one with available players...
Apart from Nikola Milutinov (he underwent surgery today) and Moustapha Fall, one more player that was able to play the '5' position was also knocked out. That was Filip Petrusev, who has been suffering from a pulled left abductor muscle. From there on, Giannoulis Larentzakis was out, after receiving a blow during the game against Real and is still faced with lower back problems, while Nigel Williams-Goss, despite included in the roster, did not play (tightened bicep). Luke Sikma and Shaquielle McKissic are not eligible for Basket League games, as was also the newcomer, Moses Wright, who arrived in Greece at noon today.
The quarters: 12-14, 42-29, 64-23, 77-62.
