Subdued the European Champion for the second time!
Olympiacos made a powerful come back to winning, beating the European Champion Fenerbahce 95-70 at the SEF, for the 21st day of the Euroleague.
The Sfairopoulos' players had also dominated the Zeljko Obradovic' team for the first round game in Istanbul.
The beginning of the game was impressive for our team. Superb defense, impressive percentages (especially from the 6.75m., with 5/6 in the first quarter), completely dominating rebounds and with zero turnovers, the 'reds' utilizing Vasilis Spanoulis, Giorgos Printezis and Kostas Papanikolaou as the leading offensive weapons "built" a difference of +19p. from the start (34-15 at 9').
A needless foul by Papanikolaou at the end of the first quarter, gave the Turkish team the chance to close in 34-18, while they even closed at +8 (38-29 at 16') thanks to the good perimeter percentages by Ali Muhammed. However, Brian Roberts and Janis Strelnieks got to "strike" from the three point line as well (33-31) and kept the team at the driver's seat till half time (44-36).
With the same recipe as in the first quarter and the exact same quintet (Mantzaris, Spanoulis, Papanikolaou, Printezis and Milutinov), the Sfairopoulos players regained complete control (57-43 at 25'). When Janis Strelnieks entered the equation (replacing Vangelis Mantzaris) the difference reached 19 points (67-48 at 28').
The 'reds' did not stop there… Always relying on their good defense, they moved the ball with patience and broadened the margin even further (+27, 95-68 at 39'). Our team chose not to execute the final 20'' offensive play out of respect to the opponent.
The quarters: 34-18, 44-36, 71-54, 95-70.
Οlympiacos (Sfairopoulos): ΜcLean 12 (1 3p., 6 reb.), Τoliopoulos, Spanoulis 19 (3), Μilutinov 5, Strelnieks 19 (4), Printezis 12 (2 3p., 7 reb.), Papanikolaou 9, Mantzaris 6 (1), Roberts 7 (1), Bogris, Wiltjer 3 (1), Τhompson 3.
Fenerbahce (Οbradovic): Τhompson 6, Melli, Mahmutoglu, Wanamaker 7 (1), Sloukas, Guduric 8 (1), Vesely 8 (5 reb), Guler 2 (1/6 shots), Κalinic 3 (1), Muhammed 24 (6), Duverioglou 8, Datome 4.
«We should continue with the same zest»
A little after the Presidents, Panagiotis and Giorgos Angelopoulos, went to the locker rooms and congratulated everyone, it was the turn for our team's coach, Giannis Sfairopoulos, to pass praise for his players.
"I would like to congratulate my players for playing with their hearts. They gave the maximum they could in every aspect of the game. They fought for every possession, on both ends of the floor, for every rebound and every dead ball. We made a very good start, with Spanoulis leading the team exceptionally for one quarter. However, he was not alone. Everyone that was playing was really focused and I wouldn't want to leave anyone outside that frame. They set the rules of the game, in defense and in offense. We played a huge first quarter and it was only obvious that Fener was going to react. They began putting pressure and we were late in making decisions to break the press and counter attack. They closed in, but we were still controlling the game. We presented excellent team work in the second half, on both ends of the floor. All those that got to play supported our game, they sacrificed, they used they bodies and gave the team all they had. I'm very happy that all my twelve players helped the team win. We really needed a good game, not only to win the two points, but also to boost our moral. We move on, the Euroleague is very tough and each one of us needs to be mentally tough. It's the same, whether you suffer a heave loss or you win big. You have to remain humble, manage the result and continue working. We thank our fans for supporting us tonight. We want the gym to be full in the following games and push us to more victories with their voice".
Asked about where he attributes the improved image of the 'reds', he replied: "Following the game against Red Star, the team came even closer together. There wasn't a problem before, but they just came closer. We were so much more determined. We came to both games that followed very focused, we were not allowed to play in one, we were allowed to in the next and you saw what the result was tonight".
When asked to comment if this was the most dominant game Olympiacos got to play in the season, he replied: "We had will, great passion, even guys that did not score much, gave their soul for the team. I don't care how much they score. I care that each time they give their all and that they fight for every ball. We were really determined, ready to fight and did what we had to do. We deserved this game, because we had lost some games that we did not deserve to lose. The team reacted and I expect to continue with the same zest till the end".
«Olympiacos deserved to win»
Fenrbahce's coach, Zeljko Obradovic, stated: "Congrats to Olympiacos for the very good game he played. It was certain that they would be very aggressive following the very rough patch they went through. It was just like we expected. They played hard, they made every shot they were allowed and that was the key of the game. They deserved to win. We have good and bad moments in life, it's part of the game and it's normal. What I cannot understand though is the way we played tonight. We did not enter the game, we did not even try to fight and when something like that happens, the responsibility is always the one of the coach. Now we need to find a way to react, all of us, and now allow what happened tonight happen again. Because you can be playing bad, but if you don't fight, especially from the beginning of the game, you cannot be expecting anything".
«First of all, we respect ourselves»
The Olympiacos' captain, Vasilis Spanoulis, stressed: "We respect our opponents, but first of all, we respect ourselves. We wanted to react. We did that with Panathinaikos, but we did not win. Now, we reacted again. It needs hard work, the season is very long. Maybe the real season starts in a few weeks".
The victory against Fenerbahce should be the guide to better games according to Giorgos Printezis… "We needed this victory badly… We are not in the shape we would have wanted during the last few weeks. Some times, when the slide down the road, it becomes obvious that you have no reserves. We reacted correctly, but it's not enough. We have a long way to go and we need to get better. There is not one person on the team not to get upset when we things aren't going as expected. We all place the team above one's self. However, no team can storm through to the end. For example, it was obvious, that we had no more strength at the end. I feel better now and I hope to get back 100% soon".
The American guard, Brian Roberts, pointed out: "We knew how important this game was. We haven't been playing as we would have wanted to during the past few weeks. The fact that we were facing a great team at home helped us stay together and focused for 40 minutes. It was a great victory, a statement victory. We wanted to make a good performance, we weren't thinking about rankings. However, it's good that we have beat them twice".