Not even bad luck can stop Olympiacos!
Olympiacos beat fatigue, bad luck and Aris! Our team bested the ‘yellow and Black’ In Thessaloniki 81-72 and began their Basket League games with a win.
The bad news though are that the injuries’ list got bigger. Giorgos Bartzokas, who had not had Moustapha Fall and Shaquielle McKissic available from the start, ‘lost’ during the game both Nigel Williams-Goss and Luke Sikma. The former felt discomfort in his left back thigh and the latter in his calf. Both their situations will be assessed following the return of the team to Athens and after they undergo the necessary physicals.
Fatigue from the game against Panathinaikos on Friday, that was decided in the overtime, was obvious from the start. Nevertheless, with Nikola Milutinov and Kostas Papanikolaou leading the way, the ‘red & whites’ closed the first quarter at +5 (18-23). Aris’ pressure though caused them enough problems. It led to turnovers and bad decisions and forced them to watch the hosts taking the lead for the first time (29-27 at 13’). The host tried hard to control the game (36-32) and they could have probably succeeded in doing so, if not for Isaiah Canaan, who made situation … personal. The American guard was unstoppable and the main reason our team got to close the first half trailing only by 1 (40-41).
He didn’t stop there also… He came into the second half equally ‘hot’ and together with Peters, they ‘built’ a +11 difference (53-64) at 29’. Despite absentees and fatigue, the ‘red & whites’ were consistently controlling the game (62-73 at 36’). Aris made one last try at getting back into the game (69-73 at 38’), but Giannoulis Larentzakis and Thomas Walkup saw to maintain the distance and lead Olympiacos to the road win.
In memoriam of Giannis Ioannidis
Before the jump ball of the game, following an initiative by HEBA, the two teams honored the memory of Giannis Ioannidis, who had had a triumphant tenure with both clubs.
The President of Aris BC, Charis Papageorgiou and the Sports Director of Olympiacos BC, Christos Bafes, presented Ioannidis’ only daughter, Helen-Theodora with an honorary plaquette, while the members of both teams left flower in a chair where the great coach’s favorite jacket and his photo were resting. Also before the jump-ball, a minute of silence was observed.
The quarters: 18-23, 41-40, 54-64, 72-81.
