Lost to Crvena Zvezda but remains in first place
Olympiacos lost 73-81 to Crvena Zvezda at the SEF for the 30th round of the Euroleague, but remains firmly at the top of the standings, having secured its spot in the playoffs and now focusing on the upcoming game against Villeurbanne (25/03).
One good read of the play, finished with a dunk by Saben Lee, a steal by Shaquielle McKissic, and two consecutive blocks by Nikola Milutinov are the key take from the first quarter, in which the team appeared disoriented and had no desire to pressure on defense. Clearly affected by the absence of Nigel Williams-Goss, the Piraeus team lacked patience on offense, committing several turnovers that gave Crvena Zvezda fast break points (2-17, 6') and failed to get into the rhythm of the game, with the quarter ending at 8-20. The second quarter began with a three-pointer from Alec Peters, but the visitors continued to control the game, capitalizing on outside shots (15-28, 12'). A 7-0 run led by Sasha Vezenkov and Evan Fournier reduced the deficit to single digits (24-31, 14'), but a lack of concentration led to more turnovers and a 3-9 scoring run for Crvena Zvezda, with the halftime score at 27-43.
Two unanswered three-pointers from Kostas Papanikolaou, two consecutive solid defensive plays, and another 2 points from the captain cut the deficit to single digits at the start of the third quarter (35-43, 22'). A steal by the captain and five points from Sasha Vezenkov (40-47) continued the team's comeback. The Bulgarian forward and Shaquielle McKissick took over, hitting from beyond the arc, while the period ended with a bucket by Fall after an assist from the captain and a block by the French center on Crvena Zvezda’s last possession (55-58). In the final quarter, poor perimeter defense led to three consecutive unanswered three-pointers from the visitors, who rebuilt a comfortable lead (59-72, 34'). Alec Peters stepped up offensively in the final three minutes, cutting the deficit to single digits (67-76, 38' and 71-77, 39'), but Crvena Zvezda remained composed at the free-throw line, securing the win 81-73. Our team, which has already secured a spot in the playoffs, remains first in the standings and now turns its focus to the next round of the competition.
The quarters: 8-20, 27-43, 55-58, 73-81.
