A stressful win
Olympiacos got the win against a combative Peristeri (84-78) for the 8th day of the Basket League.
Olympiacos' sluggish beginning, in contrast to the very focused one of Peristeri, put the guests in the driver's seat early on (8-10, 5'). Our team lacked clear thinking when attacking as well as intensity when defending and thus Limniatis' team took control of the game, combined to its very good perimeter shooting. At the same time, the 'red & whites' seemed to be agitated (the two technicals in the first quarter was proof enough) and hasty with their choices in the offense. Two consecutive, unanswered threes by the guests made the score 14-24 (8'), with the quarter ending at 20-27. In the second quarter, Giannoulis Larentzakis scored our team's first three of the game (25-31, 14'), with the guests continuing leading the score, at some point even by +14 (25-39, 15'). In the last five minutes of the first half, with Sasha Vezenkov leading the offense and increasing pressure in the back court, the Piraeus team ran a partial 11-0, making a 1-point game (43-44), which was also the score of the first half.
At the beginning of the second half, the lead that Thomas Walkup gave our team (45-44, 22') was short-lived, and Peristeri once again got the lead (47-51, 23') continuing controlling the game (51-59, 27') up until the last minutes of the quarter. Somewhere there, Olympiacos, with Nigel Williams-Goss spearheading the offense closed into one bucket (61-63), and the quarter subsequently ended at 61-66. In the last ten minutes of the game, a quick 10-0 by our team, which was the result of intense pressure our defense was exerting, made the score 67-69 (33'). The second three by Giannoulis Larentzakis brought the difference down to one (70-71, 35'), while a personal effort by the Greek forward tied the game (72-72) a bit later. The guests had an answer though and with Eddie's seventh three-pointer once again got ahead (72-75, 36'). A three by Walkup diminished the margin to one point (75-76, 38'), but Sasha Vezenkov turned the ball over and Peristeri scored for the 75-78 score. Giannoulis Larentzakis took over and with a 3-pointer, aggressive defense and two free throws at the last seconds of the game (24'') made the score 82-78, before the game concluded at 84-78.
The quarters: 20-27, 43-44, 61-66, 84-78