Α win in Thessaloniki and a record by Fournier
Olympiacos beat Iraklis 95–70 in Thessaloniki, maintaining its undeafeated record (18-0) for the Stoiximan GBL ahead of the Final 8 of the Cup.
Evan Fournier made the most imressive performance for the 'red & whites', setting a personal record with Olympiacos by scoring 32 points. Alongside Sasha Vezenkov (21 points) and Alec Peters (19 points), the trio combined for 72 of the team’s 95 points.
Giorgos Bartzokas started the game with Ntilikina, Fournier, Papanikolaou, Vezenkov, and Milutinov. Fournier immediately made his intentions clear, scoring 7 of the team’s first 9 points to give Olympiacos a 2–9 lead. The French guard became the first player in double figures for our team, finishing the first quarter with 12 points, while Vezenkov quietly added 9, helping Olympiacos build a 12-point advantage by the end of the period (11–23).
In the second quarter, Netzipoglou entered the game quickly making an impact (5 points, 2 offensive rebounds, 1 assist), just as he had done in the game against Promitheas, before picking up 3 fouls. Iraklis responded and played much better in the second quarter, applying strong pressure on the ball and cutting the deficit to 4 points (36–40), prompting Bartzokas to bring Fournier back in. Peters scored 12 points in that time and led the offensive charge, while a tough basket by Fournier gave Olympiacos a 6-point lead at halftime (36–42).
At the start of the second half, Fournier took over. Olympiacos quickly pulled away from the home side at Ivanofeio, with the French star scoring 12 points in less than 5 minutes to reach 26 personal points by the 25th minute, laying the foundation for a decisive lead. The 'red & whites' were excellent offensively in the third quarter, scoring 32 points (half of them by Fournier) and extending their advantage to 18 points (56–74) heading into the final period.
In the fourth quarter, Olympiacos played for a significant stretch with Peters at the “3” and Vezenkov at the “4” position, with both contributing scoring and highlights. Vezenkov once again filled the stat sheet with 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists, while the American forward finished with 19 points, including 4 threes.
The quarters: 11–23, 36–42, 56–74, 70–95.
