Olympiacos storms at … 105 through Trikala
Olympiacos, with six players scoring two digits, stormed through Trikala 105-87 and won its 17th game in this season's Basket League SKRATS.
The game began with Trikala scoring the first basket of the game and taking the lead. However, this was the first and last time the hosts ever led the game. Spanoulis and Printezis took over, Lojeski, Dunston and Mantzaris continued in the same mode and with a 10-0 streak the team of Giannis Sfairopoulos made the score 2-10. The 'reds' with a three by Mat Lojeski were leading 9-23 at 7'. Lojeski, with a new bucket two minutes later wrote 9-30 on the scoreboard and the first quarter ended 12-32 for our team.
In the second quarter, the 'reds' lost their concentration, they weren't shooting as good and lost all defensive focus. The result being for Trikala to cut the difference in half and half time ended 43-53 for Olympiacos.
The 'reds' were maintaining the difference to digits in the third quarter. However, two threes by Harris set the margin below ten points at 27' (62-71). Finally, the end of the third quarter found Olympiacos leading 70-78.
The players of Giannis Sfairopoulos, not wishing to give any more room to the hosts, run a partial 1-8 at the beginning of the last quarter and made the score 71-86. After that, the 'reds' dominated the game completely and reached the 87-105 victory.
The quarters: 12-32, 43-53, 70-78, 87-105
Trikala (Flevarakis): Ingram 15 (3), Νikolopoulos 9 (2), Tracy 11 (2), Harris 14 (2), Cupkovic 15 (2), Panos 8, Spanos, Matalon, Alexander 11, Hall 4.
Olympiacos (Sfairopoulos): Hunter 13 (5reb) , Dunston 12 (4reb), Spanoulis 25 (2 3p., 8as), Darden 2, Sloukas, Lojeski 17 (4 3p., 2 reb., 2as.), Christodoulou, Printezis 22 (3 3p, 4 reb, 4as), Mantzaris 10 (2 3p, 3reb, 4as), Kavvadas 4.
GIANNIS SFAIROPOULOS: "Before we say anything about the game, I would like to offer my condolences to the family of Christian Welp. We very prematurely lost a player that had been a member of the Olympiacos family. It was a high tempo and level game. We began focused in our defense, did what we had planned on doing. We forced an excellent offensive team and very well organized by its coach to score low, we made easy baskets, but then lost concentration. We received 31 points in the second quarter, we had ups and downs in our game. Trikala was feisty, they made some big shots, we had the lead and control of the game and at the end built a broad margin and got the victory. We certainly need to contemplate about the blank spaces we have had especially in our defense. From that point on, I would like to say that all players need to remain focused for 40 minutes. This is the aftermath of tonight's game. Finally, I would like to say that it's a pity for games to be held in empty gyms. Trikala have been making a great effort and games like the one against Olympiacos should be a celebration of basketball. All the best for Trikala and the coach".
MAT LOJESKI: "We began the game well, very focused on both ends of the court. But we relaxed in the second quarter; we did not play well at all. Trikala have good players with excellent offensive skills. We finally had control and won, without however playing well".
GIORGOS PRINTEZIS: "We played a terrific first quarter, but we then lost our focus. Trikala like to run, we allowed them to and received 31 points in the second quarter. Trikala is a team that more or less resembles Armani Milano, they both like to run and I think it was a difficult game today, a good test in view of the game against Armani. This was a good test for us and we are now focusing on the game against the Italians".
BRYANT DUNSTON: "Following the first quarter when we played exactly as planned, we stopped playing defense. We have no right to do that. The tough games are just beginning and we are not allowed to relax not even a minute, at no game. We played the defense we wanted to in the last quarter, but we are not really satisfied, it's not enough to play right in only half the game".