Superb on both ends of the floor
Olympiacos edged Aris 84-68 for the 12th day of the Basket League SKRATS and remains alone at the top ranking spot.
Our team did not begin the game well resulting for the guests to lead 7-11. Hunter and Danston tied the game at 8' and the first quarter ended 17-17.
The 'reds' imposed the rhythm completely into the second quarter. With Petway and Lafayette scoring from a long but also short range the difference reached 10 points at the end of the first half (45-35).
In the third quarter, Olympiacos was substantial and impressive. The difference was maintained above ten points in the first five minutes of the third quarter (56-43) with Petway, Danston and Lafayette having scored two digit numbers. The difference reached +21 (67-46) with the third quarter closing 67-49.
Olympiacos was playing in power saving mode in the last quarter, but at the same time was maintaining the margin above 15 points. Finally the reds got the 84-68 victory.
The quarters: 17-17, 45-35, 67-49, 84-68
Οlympiacos : Petway 15 (3 3p, 4reb, 1bl), Hunter 4, Danston 12, Spanoulis, Darden 7 (4reb, 2as), Sloukas 8 (2 3p, 4as), Lafayette 14 (3 3p, 5as), Lojeski 4, Printezis 16 (1 3p, 4reb), Mantzaris 3 (1), Kavvadas 1, Katsivelis.
Aris : Pasalic 10 (2), Dimas, Reed 11, Thomas 12 (1), Poulianitis 2, Charisis 2, Karathanassis 4, Vezenkov 14, Neymick 2, Adegboye 11.
GIANNIS SFAIROPOULOS: "We knew we would be facing a serious and organized team, an opponent that gives a lot of problems in the game. We did not 'reds' their defense well in the first quarter, but from the second quarter on we improved on both ends of the floor, we forced our opponent into not scoring with ease, we played quite well on both offense and defense and built a safety difference while we imposed our rhythm up to the end although with some blank periods. It is very important to me that in a game like that we passed 29 assists, this shows team work, an element we have been working on and want to preserve. Team work means pluralism. Congratulations to my players for the victory, we focus on the next game. It is for sure that we have less injured players and this is good but we still miss two players. I believe that the team has found balance in its chemistry and that's important. We have guards capable of scoring and create as well. Spanoulis has most capable scorers along side and he can create for them, but those beside him know that they can also create for him. By playing as a team one day you have this player as your top scorer and that player the next. We have the quality to do this in every game".
VANGELIS MANTZARIS: "Aris is a serious team, the coach had prepared us for a tough game. We knew we were going to find against us a team that is ready, we fought, we tried to remain focused for 40 minutes. We did not succeed in that aspect, we have had blank spaces, but I think we played the way we had wanted in the third quarter, got a difference and eventually the victory. Good luck to Aris".