A legendary qualification to the Final 4!
Olympiacos bested Barcelona 63-59 and secured - for the 3rd season in a row - the ticket to the Final 4, in a game 5 and without home court advantage!
Nervousness, bad shooting from both teams and physical defensive games were the main characteristics of the first part. It's indicative that it took 2:20'' following the tip-off for Barcelona to open the score, that followed with two back-to-back threes by Laprovitola and was leading 8-2 at 6'. The 'red & whites', despite missed free throws and many turnovers, closed into 12-9 at 10'.
With a 6-0, the Blaugrana found themselves at +9 for the first time in the game (18-9) and steadily maintained control up until 16' (+8, 25-17). However, the excellent performance of Nikola Milutinov on both ends of the floor, combined with the contribution of Peters, Canaan and Wright in scoring, allowed our team to 'reply' with a partial 8-2 of its own and make a 2-point game (27-25) at 20'.
The outlook remained practically the same in the second half... Barcelona succeeded in gaining an 8p. lead (38-30 at 25'), but Olympiacos, mostly thanks to its pressing defense and despite missed free throws and turnovers, got to tie the score (40-40, at 30').
The battle continued into the fourth quarter, with the 'red & whites" to gain the lead for the first time at 35', with a three and one by McKissic (47-49). That was the beginning of the end for the hosts, since the American forward struck again from the 6.75m., our captain did also the same and hence our team built an 8p. lead (49-57, at 38'). The Catalans fought to come back, took advantage of the hastiness the 'red & whites' were exhibiting to finish the game and closed into 3p. (54-57) at 39'.
Bartzokas' players though, were determined to not throw away their huge opportunity.... They put their money once again on defense and being dead-calm from the free throw line, Canaan and Papanikolaou sealed the big qualificaiton (56-63, 7.8'' to the end). With the game already been decided, Barcelona simply got to write the final 59-63.
The quarters: 12-9, 27-25, 40-40, 59-63.
BARCELONA
OLYMPIACOS