Olympiacos makes the finals
Olympiacos bested Panionios on the road 93-90 at overtime with a three by Vassilis Spanoulis, swept the series 3-0 and made the Greek League Finals.
Our team began the game exactly as planned. The players of Giorgos Bartzokas were playing excellent defense and moving the ball well in offense took a 9-6 lead during the first six minutes of the game. The ball was going into the basket either from the hands of Spanoulis or Dunston, and both Simmons and Printezis were finishing off plays with the first quarter ending with a 16 all tie.
‘Thrylos’ continued playing solid defense into the second quarter and with a partial score of 13-5 in the first five minutes the Piraeus team was leading 21-29. However, bad shooting and continuous turnovers in offense allowed Panionios to claim a 36-33 lead at 19’ with half-time ending 39-37 in favor of the hosts.
Neither defense nor offense were working right for seven minutes into the third quarter and Panionios was able to gain a 14 points lead. Nevertheless, our team run a 9-0 streak and had a five points’ game at the end of the quarter (60-55). Panionios once again got ahead with an 11 points lead (66-55), but the ‘reds’ once again closed in (68-62) following a partial 7-2 in one minute. The teams continued battling head to head, Panionios was leading 79-77 but Vangelis Mantzaris with a drive sent the game to overtime.
That’s where Printezis and Spanoulis took action. The co-captain did all the work with continuous scoring in the ovetime and the captain with a three-pointer only a second before the buzzer gave Olympiacos both the victory and the qualification to the finals.
Τhe quarters: 16-16, 39-37, 60-55, 79-79, 90-93.
Panionios (Sferopoulos): McCollum 25 (1), Duvnjak 8 (2), Carter 4, Milbourne 17, Athanassoulas 3 (1), Batis 4, Langford 17, Michel 1, Symtsak 6, Saloustros 5 (1).
Olympiacos (Bartzokas): Petway, Shermadini 1, Dunston 5 (3reb, 2st), Spanoulis 22 (3 3p., 5reb, 5as), Perperoglou 10, Papapetrou 1, Sloukas 8 (1 3p, 3as), Collins 3 (4reb), Simmons 11, Lodjeski 7 (1), Printezis 17, Mantzaris 8 (2).
GIORGOS BARTZOKAS: “We were definitely expecting Panionios would react, and that’s what happened. They are always strong in their home court, we responded when faced with the imminent danger of losing the game. When Panionios was heading with more than ten points, we played some good defense and led the game to overtime. It seemed we were going only second to the ball, while we also made a lot of turnovers. So we feel kind of lucky. Of course this game is going to be of great help in view of the finals. It was what we needed before the final series. Up to a point, we were misled by the comfortable victories we got in the first two games. Nevertheless, our preparation resembled the one we make for a Euroleague game. Probably wide score differences we achieved in the first two games somehow gave our players the impressions that their task would be easy, which of course weren’t”.
GIORGOS PRINTEZIS: “Panionios is a very serious team and they are not here by chance. We knew what we were up against and unfortunately began the game somewhat relaxed, which is not excusable. We had to come to the end to win, something that should not happen in the finals. We all know the finals are going to be very tough, Panathinaikos has a favorable home court advantage, but we are going to fight, we are in good shape and we are going to claim our share”.
CEDRICK SIMMONS: “It was a tough series; Panionios is a good team and fought. We showed character, came back to the game and this was good in terms of preparing for the finals. That’s where we focus now and I think we are going to be ready”.
GIANNIS SFEROPOULOS: “We showed more passion and faith. It’s tougher to play in the Peace and Friendship Stadium than in our court. We were better focused and read the game well. We controlled the game quite adequately; however, Olympiacos has quality and a deep roster and cut down the difference. We could have won the game in the regulation, at overtime Olympiacos showed to have more solutions and quality. All the best to Olympiacos in the finals. This game is going to be very helpful in the fight for the third place”.
Questioned about the future of Elias Lianos and Panionios, Giannis Sferopoulos said that “Mr. Lianos has offered a lot to Panionios and Greek basketball; we hope he is satisfied by our effort in the season and recants his decision about leaving”.
Next the Greek coach was asked why his team did not make a foul on the last offensive play of the overtime: “My philosophy is not to go for the foul. I believe in good defense and when you are focused on defense as a team, you trust your defense. Defense wins games and trust in defense is established when you choose to play defense in cases like these”.
CHRISTOS SALOUSTROS: “The game advertised basketball, everyone enjoyed it and we tried very hard. However, Spanoulis gave his team the victory with his shot. It’s not the first time he makes a shot like that, nor the last one, we did what we could and we are now focusing on the 3rd place series”.