The trio of Alec Peters, Nikola Milutinov and Moustapha Fall made the difference for the Reds.
Olympiacos's bigs dominated the paint against Milan
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3 Mins read
Regular Season
Round 18 of 34
Group Regular Season
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Olympiacos Piraeus and EA7 Emporio Armani Milan engaged in a highly physical battle at the Peace And Friendship Stadium, with the hosts grabbing a 79-74 victory in Round 18 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season. One of the keys to Olympiacos’s third straight win was their dominance in the paint, with Alec Peters, Nikola Milutinov and Moustapha Fall being its top scorers – all three ending the game in double digits.
Peters shot 4-for-4 from beyond the arc to record a game-high 16 points. Having made at least 1 three-point shot in 13 of his last 14 games, on Tuesday night the Olympiacos forward reached the milestone of 200 three-pointers made for his EuroLeague career. He had great support from both Olympiacos centers who were dominant inside. Fall recorded 12 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists, having gone a perfect 5-for-5 on two-pointers and 2-for-2 from the line for a PIR of 28.
“I’m just trying to be as least selfish as possible,” noted Fall, who managed more assists than any player who stepped on the court. “We always try to move the ball and find the open men and that’s what I’m trying to do. I know that for the coach, defense is the priority and obviously I can move and I’m big, so I try my best to help everybody.”
In the 18 minutes that Fall was not on the floor, Milutinov stepped up and helped his team dominate in the paint. He scored 13 points and also bagged 5 boards, including 3 offensive rebounds. In fact, Olympiacos outrebounded the visitors 37-16 and scored 21 second-chance points.
“[Milutinov] is coming back in shape,” Fall added after the game. “It’s always tough when you come back from injury, but I know that he’s going to be important for us in the long run.”
Milutinov hit the ground running this season and recorded double digits in scoring in five of the first six rounds. Yet, an injury put an end to his momentum and the Olympiacos center is looking to rediscover his form in the second half of the campaign. His 13 points for a PIR of 18 demonstrate that he is back on track, which is great news for Olympiacos as it’s heading to the second game of this double-round week. After beating Milan in Piraeus, the Greek side will host AS Monaco on Thursday in its bid to clinch its second home win in a row.