Defeated in Madrid
Olympiacos failed to overcome the obstacle of Real Madrid, suffering a defeat with a score of 89-77.
Our team had an excellent start in Madrid. With Tyler Dorsey as the main protagonist and a flurry of three-pointers, Olympiacos took an early lead (4-9, 2’). The Greek-American guard was unstoppable (6-13, 4’), and the 'red & whites' were perfectly accurate from beyond the arc (7/7 from 6.75m). Our captain, Kostas Papanikolaou, made history by stepping on the court, as he became the player with the most appearances in the history of the club, in a strong opening period that ended 19-29.
Due to the lack of patience on offense and the necessary intensity on defense by Olympiacos, Real Madrid managed to close the gap early in the second quarter (27-31, 12’), but Evan Fournier, with five consecutive points, pushed the lead back up to +9 (27-36). The hosts went on an 8-2 run and narrowed the margin again (44-45, 18’), capitalizing on our team's rushed offensive decisions and poor defensive reactions. However, every time Real Madrid found their rhythm, Olympiacos had a response. With Sasha Vezenkov leading the way, the first half ended with an 8-2 run and a 47-53 lead.
Our team continued to hold the lead in the early minutes of the third quarter, though without showing the same defensive toughness (54-57, 23’). Real Madrid seized the opportunity and took the lead for the first time in the game. But Olympiacos responded immediately, with Milutinov and Dorsey putting the 'red & whites' back in the lead (62-65, 26’). The Serbian center and Sasha Vezenkov dominated the rebounds, giving Olympiacos second-chance points and a +5 advantage by the end of the quarter (64-69).
The guests received a 10-0 run in the opening minutes of the final period, a result of poor decision-making on offense, missed three-point attempts, and turnovers (74-65, 35’). Evan Fournier was the one who sparked the offense again, and Thomas Walkup added free throws to close the gap to 74-73. However, the Piraeus team struggled with poor shooting, lacked patience in ball movement, and ultimately fell 89-77.
The quarters: 19-29, 47-53, 64-69, 89-77.
