An easy win over Lavrio

Olympiacos beat Lavrio at the SEF 84-63 for the 28th day of the Basket League.

Despite their bad shooting percentages from the perimeter (3/11 threes), the 'red & whites' succeeded - thanks to their solid defense and their dominating rebounding - to control the tempo and close the first quarter at +7 (22-15). However, they then inexcusably relaxed their defense, went to bad decisions in offense, committed a lot of turnovers and allowed Lavrio (that found scoring from the three-point line) to at first close in 36-34 and then get ahead 37-40 at 39'. However, the return of Isaiah Canaan on the floor proved to be a catalyst. The American guard offered substantial solutions with scoring and it was his from down-town buzzer beater that gave our team the lead at the end of the first half (44-42).   

With Moustapha Fall proving to be a defensive 'boulder' and Alec Peters and Kostas Papanikolaou consistently scoring, Olympiacos was able to completely control the tempo in the 3rd quarter and build a +18 lead (70-52) at 30'. The 'red & whites' effectively continued with pressing in the back court and despite their less than solid shooting got to further open up the distance (23p., 75-52 at 35'), after stopping the guests from scoring for a total of five minutes. With the game having been already decided (82-59 at 38'), Giorgos Bartzokas took the opportunity to use Rozakeas and Abosi, who only a few days ago won the Rising Star tournament with the Olympiacos' Academies.  

* Thomas Walkup, Giannoulis Larentzakis (injury) as well as Luke Sikm and Ignas Brazdeikis (not eligible) were not in the line up.

The quarters: 22-15, 44-42, 70-52, 84-63.