Once again +100 points and off to the Final Four!
Olympiacos defeated Monaco 105–82 in the Principality, 'sweeping' the series and securing qualification for the Final Four in Athens.
For our team, that qualified to a 5th consecutive Final Four playing excellent basketball, Fournier and Peters were the stand out players, scoring a combined 40 points.
Giorgios Bartzokas started the game with Walkup, Dorsey, Papanikolaou, Vezenkov, and Milutinov, and Olympiacos, contrary to what came next, started poorly, trailing 7–0. As the game progressed, our team found its rhythm from the perimeter and, with strong ball movement, imposed its own tempo on the game. Olympiacos had Walkup and Papanikolaou in fantastic form from beyond the arc, combining for 6 three-pointers, and by improving its defense, it built a +9 lead (17–26) by the end of the quarter.
Our team continued its dominant performance in the second quarter, despite changes in the line-up. Evan Fournier was on fire upon entering the court, and with his 3/3 three-pointers, Olympiacos extended the lead to +19 (30–49). The 'red & whites' played its coach’s brand of basketball throughout the first half, as clearly shown by 18 assists to just 3 turnovers ratio.
Shaquielle McKissic also joined the offensive equation, hitting 2/2 three-pointers to push the lead beyond 20 points (38–61). Overall, Olympiacos shot 13/21 from the three-point line in the first half and, as expected, had no trouble, heading into halftime with a 21-point lead.
In the third quarter, Olympiacos relied offensively on the EuroLeague MVP. Sasha Vezenkov scored 6 points in just a few minutes, reaching double digits as well, while Olympiacos, despite the efforts of James and Blossomgame, maintained a lead of over 20 points.
Goorgios Bartzokas’ team continued its excellent playmaking in the second half and, despite slightly reduced accuracy from the perimeter, entered the 4th quarter with an 18-point lead (64–82). Notably, Olympiacos had four players in double figures before the quarter began (Walkup, McKissic, Vezenkov, and Fournier), having fully established its dominance at Gaston Médecin.
In the final 10' minutes, our team briefly lost defensive focus, allowing Monaco to cut the deficit to 12 points (70–82). Evan Fournier, both in scoring and playmaking, kept Olympiacos steady at that moment, quickly restoring the lead to +19 (70–89). Monaco made one more attempt to get back into the game, but Bartzokas’ offensive machine clicked again.
Olympiacos reached 100 points two minutes before the end and ultimately secured the 105-82 win.
The quarters: 17–26, 40–61, 64–82, 82–105.
