A win over Barcelona in a packed arena
Olympiacos defeated Barcelona 87–75, extending its European winning streak to 5–0 and improving its record to 16–8, climbing further up the EuroLeague standings.
Once again, Sasha Vezenkov had an outstanding night, as he finished the game with a double-double of 20 points and 11 rebounds. Tyrique Jones also delivered his first truly big performance wearing the Olympiacos jersey and was sensational down the stretch, ending the night with 16 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 blocks, and 3 steals.
Immediately after the one-minute silence observed at the Peace and Friendship Stadium in memory of the PAOK supporters who lost their lives in a tragic traffic accident, Giorgos Bartzokas started the game with Walkup, Dorsey, Ward, Vezenkov, and Milutinov. Relying on its frontline, Olympiacos jumped to an 11-point lead (13–2) four minutes after the tip-off. Vezenkov and Milutinov were superb around the basket, and with excellent ball movement (4 assists in the first four minutes), the hosts got off to an ideal start.
In the second half of the first quarter, Tyler Dorsey entered the offensive equation for Olympiacos and, with 5 consecutive points, made it 20–7, while Cory Joseph made his debut in the 'red & white' and was warmly welcomed by the crowd. Led by Tyson Ward, Olympiacos added even more energy on defense, and with Vezenkov knocking down his second 3-pointer, the 'red & whites' went up by 17 points. The first quarter ended with the score at 27–13, with the Bulgarian forward already up to 12 points.
In the second quarter, Barcelona responded as expected. With Brizuela hitting 3/3 three-pointers and 3/3 free throws, the visitors cut the deficit to 10 (36–26). However, a burst from Tyrique Jones restored a 14-point lead for Olympiacos, forcing Xavi Pascual to call an urgent timeout.
The final minutes of the first half turned into a sloppy affair with mistakes on both sides. Barcelona came out on top of that stretch, trimming the margin to 9 points (46–37).
At halftime, the One Team program celebration took place, with Olympiacos hosting children from “PLOES” – the Society of Psychosocial Studies – and the 6th grade of the 22nd Primary School of Piraeus. Together, through an impressive dance performance, they showed that inclusion is not just an act of responsibility, but a normal part of life.
At the start of the third quarter, Barcelona completely balanced the game and, with a 9–0 run led offensively by Vesely, tied the score at 46. Olympiacos responded at that point, with Sasha Vezenkov catching fire once again and answering with an 8–0 run of its own. However, Olympiacos made several poor decisions during that time, allowing Barca to take the lead for the first time since 0–2 (56–58 at 28’). With Punter and Clyburn stepping up, just as in the game in Spain, and hurting Olympiacos, the Catalans posted a 27–13 run and closed the third quarter ahead by 5 (59–64).
In the final quarter, fueled by the home crowd, Olympiacos returned to its usual standards of performance and regained the lead (68–66) with an incredible 3-pointer by Vezenkov. The hosts increased the intensity on defense, and with a basket by Fournier off his own offensive rebound, they went up 71–68 with 4 minutes remaining. As in the first half, the closing stretch of the second half saw both teams far from their best, but this time it worked in Olympiacos’ favor.
Led by Tyrique Jones, who produced his first truly big game for his new team, the Piraeus side found the solutions and closed the game in ideal fashion, securing their 5th consecutive win in the competition. In the end, Olympiacos nearly claimed the head-to-head point differential as well, but Vesely scored at the buzzer in response to a spectacular three by Dorsey, leaving the final margin at 12 points.
The quarters: 27–13, 46–37, 59–64, 87–75.
