BELGRADE HERE WE COME!!!
Olympiacos outlasted Monaco 94-88 and ‘sealed’ their ticket to the Euroleague Final Four!!!
Defenses took center stage at the beginning of the game, which is reflected in the first quarter’s score (11-13). However, Monaco later took advantage of the bad choices the ‘reds’ were making in the offense as well as of their turnovers, found target from the perimeter and succeeded in building a +11 margin (19-30) at 14’. A scoring recital by Shaquielle McKissic and substantial solutions provided by Tyler Dorsey allowed Olympiacos to close in to 4p. (38-42) at 18’, but with two back to back threes by Ouattara Monaco once again increased the distance (38-48). Finally it was Walkup that replied with a thee, making the score 41-48 which was also the one to close the first half.
Monaco consistently controlled the tempo up until 23’ (45-53), however, with a ferocious defensive game and Thomas Walkup spearheading the offense, Olympiacos ran a partial 11-2 and inched a lead (56-55). Despite a SEF ‘on fire’, the guests maintained their calm as well as their good shooting percentages from the three point line, hence closing the third quarter leading by 4 (66-70).
In the 4th quarter the offensive tempo ran amok. The two teams were battling head to head and were constantly exchanging leading up until the end, with Kostas Sloukas almost solely scoring for our team during the last minutes of the game (91-86, 1:40’’ before the final buzzer). Dorsey made the score 94-88 with a three, while Monaco failed to execute an offensive play twice thanks to the incomparable defense of the ‘reds’.
The quarters: 11-13, 41-48, 66-70, 94-88.
