Jan Vesely led the way by grabbing 7 offensive rebounds
Offensive boards helped Barcelona tie the series
Stats
3 Mins read
FC Barcelona bounced back from its Game 1 loss to Olympiacos Piraeus by grabbing a 77-69 win in Game 2 to tie the series, using outstanding defense and hustle to do so.
Barca finished the game with 15 offensive rebounds, getting 10 of those after the break. The Spanish side only allowed Olympiacos to grab 3 offensive rebounds in the second half, which allowed it to have a better chance to control the pace of the game.
Three-point defense was equally important for Barca, which restricted Olympiacos to just 8-of-27 shots from beyond the arc (29.6% 3FG). The Reds' starting backcourt, Thomas Walkup and Isaiah Canaan, combined for just 1-of-12 three-point shots (8.3% 3FG) in Game 2. On the other hand, Barca was much more inspired from beyond the arc, burying 9-of-19 attempts (47.4% 3FG). Jabari Parker found half of his 24 points from beyond three-point land, hitting 4-of-7 shots from downtown.
Taking much better care of the ball also allowed Barca to dictate the contest. Barca finished the game with 21 assists and just 10 turnovers. The hosts' point guard duo, Ricky Rubio and Tomas Satoransky, combined for 10 assists and just 2 turnovers. Olympiacos ended the night with 18 assists and 19 turnovers, its most in a playoff game since 2022.
"I think we did a much better job than in the first game," Alex Abrines told EuroLeague TV afterward. "We moved the ball, found the open man and we didn't play selfish like in the first game. That translated into better percentages and, obviously, a win," Alex Abrines told EuroLeague TV afterward.
Abrines stressed the importance of having beaten Olympiacos on the road in regular-season action, which could be a psychological factor in Barca's favor.
"We know how to play there. We know it's hard, but we already did it. We have to play like this, even more when you play away. We know what to do, so it's in our hands."