The Reds recorded 16 offensive rebounds against the team with the best defensive rebounding average in the league
Olympiacos showed grit and desire in Game 2 – qualities it will need in Game 3
Article
3 Mins read
A defensive sequence cannot be labeled successful if the rebound is not captured at the end of the play. Boxing out and protecting the boards is considered as important as whatever may have occurred before the ball was released by the hands of the opposition player on offense. Hence, pulling down as many as 16 offensive rebounds in a tight game where neither team managed to score more than 77 points clearly has a huge impact on the game.
Doing so against the team with the best defensive rebounding average in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague this season (26.5 rpg) is one of the keys that can lead to a victory.
On Friday night, Olympiacos Piraeus managed to beat Real Madrid 77-71 in Game 2, where the hosts secured 16 second-chance opportunities through offensive boards. Six players grabbed at least 1 each, with Sasha Vezenkov recording a game-high 5 offensive rebounds.
Olympiacos's two main bigs, Moustapha Fall and Nikola Milutinov, chipped in with 3 apiece, giving the Reds extra possessions and dealing constant blows in the morale of Real Madrid’s players, all while pulling off an extraordinary outing on the defensive end.
“We had 16 second chances from offensive rebounds and finally we managed to beat this great team,” Georgios Bartzokas told EuroLeague TV after Friday’s clash. “The game was full of tension, a typical playoff game. Real Madrid played excellently, with their talent, their experience.”
Despite heading into Game 2 as only the 13th-best team in total rebounds (33.4, rpg) so far this campaign, Olympiacos secured 36 boards which prevented the visitors from dictating the tempo on both ends. In a game where the hosts struggled to connect with the basket, missing 17 two-pointers and 23 triples, finding extra possessions played a key role in the outcome.
Yet, Real Madrid has proved in the past that it should not be underestimated under any circumstances. And Vezenkov was quick to remind everyone that there has been only one team in EuroLeague history to turn a series around from 2-0 down.
“[In Game 3] we have to play better on offense, make better decisions and be very concentrated,” Vezenkov said in the post-game press conference. “Because if you remember, Real Madrid came back from 2-0 two years ago in very difficult circumstances.”
In fact, Real Madrid was trailing Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade 2-0 in the 2023 EuroLeague Playoffs after the Serbian side grabbed back-to-back victories in the Spanish capital. Los Blancos not only turned the series around but they also went all the way to win the trophy after beating Olympiacos in the championship game.
“We have to keep believing because we are going to fight until the end,” Chus Mateo said in the post-game press conference. “We’re not going to stop. It would be very difficult to beat Olympiacos on the road because they are a very good team with experienced players, a great coach and a great atmosphere of basketball.”
Meanwhile, the remarks of Bartzokas, Milutinov and Vezenkov after the game had one common denominator: the Reds may have won all its four games against Real Madrid this season, but nothing is over until a third playoff victory is officially clinched.
Olympiacos will travel to Spain next week, with Game 3 scheduled to take place on Tuesday night. Protecting the boards will be the key to controlling the tempo in yet another game, and if the visitors manage to do so they would have taken an important step towards sealing their place at the Final Four for the fourth season in a row.