The shot made and shots missed…
The games ball plays are such that do not guarantee anything, especially when it comes to a basketball game. Olympiacos was edged during overtime by Galatasaray 78-77 missing two shots at the end, but having sent the game to prolongation following an incredible three-pointer by Sloukas.
The “reds” began the game strong in “Abdi Ipecsi” and controlled it through good defense. The scenario was spoiled in the second quarter and the many turnovers Dusan Ivkovic’ players made in both defense and offense gave the home team the chance to lead by 14.
In the beginning of the second half, the “reds” came back and closed the game to a three points’ margin, but then again the Turks found the way to make a two digit game.
Olympiacos’ counter attack continued and this time much more effectively. The guests thanks to the three pointers made by Gecevicius and Printezis, but also thanks to the choices Spanoulis made, started closing in and the game got to be decided by free throws. The Olympiacos captain closed to 67-66 and then Jaka Lakovic was immediately fouled with the timer only 2’’ away from buzzing. The Slovenian guard made both his free throws, but the Turks chose not to make a foul and they paid their choice watching Kostas Sloukas scoring an incredible three pointer from the three – point range of the Olympiacos defense.
The “reds” led in the beginning of the prolongation, but the former Olympiacos player, Jamon Gordon made victory a personal mission and kept Galatasaray in the game with consecutive personal scoring, giving his team the lead 12’’ before the end. In the last offensive play for Olympiacos, Sloukas missed a shot from a six meters range, the ball went to Gecevicius who missed in turn with a three-point shot and Olympiacos was not able to celebrate its first TOP-16 victory in the season.
The quarters: 15-15, 42-28, 57-47, 69-69, 78-77
Galatasaray (Mahmuti): Shipp 8, Lakovic 16 (1), Koksal, Shumpert 5, Andric 10, Aldemir 6, Gordon 17 (1), Arslan, Ozer 10 (2) Savovic 6.
Οlympiacos (Ivkovic): Hines 11, Antic 2, Spanoulis 24 (2), Dorsey 5, Pelekanos, Gecevicius 9 (1), Printezis 14 (1), Papanikolaou 2, Mantzaris, Sloukas 10 (2), Law.
DUSAN IVKOCIC: It was a very tough game for a whole of 45 minutes. The key to the game was control, but we absolutely lost it at the end of the first half. Nevertheless, we came back and we lost the game due to missed shots of our own. We deserved to win, but Galatasaray deserved it as much. We keep on trying, we have four more games ahead of us and we need to learn from our mistakes.
KOSTAS SLOUKAS: We had a pick n’ roll planned with Vassilis (i.e. Spanoulis), it did not work for us, I saw Lakovic in front of me and I thought I had a good chance to shoot. I missed, it was God will. At the end of the regulation, the time was expiring. You don’t have time to think on occasions like that. You shoot, you pray and if it gets in, then fine. But this shoot doesn’t mean anything since we lost the game.
JAMON GORDON: It was a very important victory for us. The truth is that we controlled the game for most of its part, but when I saw Sloukas making that incredible shot, I felt weird. I was playing against my old team and what helped me is that I knew how they play.