Die hard!!!
Olympiacos won 74-62 and has tied the series against Anadolu Efes (2-2). Now everything will be resolved in the fifth game at the Peace and Friendship Stadium.
The game had a bad start for our team. Efes made a better beginning was leading 18-6 at 4', but Olympiacos, like always, did not give up. The team gave it all and closed the margin, with the quarter ending 21-14. The second quarter was similar, Efes got to lead by two digits, but the Greek Champions reacted with superb defense to go to the locker rooms at half time with a three point game (38-35).
The offense was working like a clock, shots were on target one after the other in the third quarter. Spanoulis started scoring one after the other, then there was Green, then Papanikolaou and Papapetrou. Agravanis and Young destroyed everyone defensive wise and Olympiacos got to lead 54-55 at the end of the third quarter.
In the last quarter, Olympiacos showed why they are among the best teams in Europe. With continuous great defensive plays, the game changed completely, Efes seemed unable to do anything about it and the margin was only getting wider, to eventually reach double digits and that's where it was all over.
The Sfairopoulos' team tied the series and now it returns to the Peace and Friendship Stadium for a fifth game.
THE POINTS
The quarters: 21-14, 38-35, 54-55, 62-74.
Αnadolu Efes (Perasovic): Τhomas 2, Honeycutt 4, Balbay 3 (1), Brown 9 (1), Οsman 8, Granger 17 (1), Heurtel 6, Paul, Dunston 7 (11reb.), Κirk 2.
Olympiacos (Sfairopoulos): Green 10 (1), Birch 9, Young 4 (7reb.), Papapetrou 6 (2), Spanoulis 18 (5), Waters 3, Αgravanis 2, Μilutinov, Printezis 11 (1), Papanikolaou 8 (2), Mantzaris 3 (1).
THE QUOTES
GIANNIS SFAIROPOULOS: "We had said that we need to be tough. We knew that it was a game without tomorrow. We gave it all. We played very good defense in the last quarter and that made us better in offense. We moved the ball very well. I think we deserved the victory. I believe in my players and that they can give the maximum for the team. Tonight they proved this to be true and it's very important. The series is tied 2-2, we have not qualified. We need to be very focused in the last game".
VALIMIR PERASOVIC: «Congratulations to Olympiacos, they deserved the victory. I think we began well, we were leading, but Olympiacos is a serious team and they closed in before half-time. I think that the game was decided in the fourth quarter. We were very bad with our offense, with no confidence. When you don't score, it's tough to play the same kind of defense we were playing in the first quarter. We had energy, but we have also been shooting very poorly from the three - point line throughout the series. It's tough to beat Olympiacos this way. As a result, Olympiacos stayed in the game and did not allow us to score easy baskets. And we also missed a lot of open shots».