It went down to the wire, but the Reds came out on top against Maccabi
Olympiacos's third-quarter defense turned the tide for fifth straight win
Article
3 Mins read
Regular Season
Round 10 of 34
Group Regular Season
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After Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv netted 29 points in the second quarter to take a 53-42 lead into the second half, Olympiacos Piraeus head coach Georgios Bartzokas didn’t mince his words in the halftime interview.
“Nothing [worked out] defensively or offensively,” Bartzokas admitted. “We stopped passing the ball, we had just 1 assist in this period of time [second quarter]. On defense we were loose. We need to completely change our approach [in the second half].”
And change their approach they did. Olympiacos tightened up its defense, producing numerous stops and deflections on one end that allowed the visitors to loosen up and circulate the ball with confidence on the other after scoring just 13 points in the second quarter. The Reds produced 5 steals, protected the paint with 3 blocks and forced Maccabi to 7 turnovers – 2 more than what it committed in the first 20 minutes.
Game Videos
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Sasha Vezenkov: 'We are more than happy'
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Roman Sorkin blocks Fournier! Motorola Magic Moment
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Gabriel rejects Walkup! Motorola Magic Moment
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Saben Lee explodes to the rim! Motorola Magic Moment
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What a block by Wenyen Gabriel! Motorola Magic Moment
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Great dunk on the alley-oop by Sorkin! Motorola Magic Moment
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Straight from the court: Fournier and Vezenkov analyze Greek derby outcome | Post-game show
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Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens-Olympiacos Piraeus | RS Round 8 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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Sasha Vezenkov: 'I missed this derby so much'
- 00:13
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Gabriel with a audacious alley-oop! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:10
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Monster dunk by Rivero! Motorola Magic Moment
- 01:42
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Shaq McKissic relives his best Greek derby plays
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Nikola Milutinov: 'We showed what we can do'
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Lee wins it! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night
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McKissic detonates the dunk! Motorola Magic Moment
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Peters stops Booker! Motorola Magic Moment
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Lee left Francisco on his backside before finishing! Motorola Magic Moment
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Evan Fournier on the buzzer! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:09
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Moses Wright throws it down! Motorola Magic Moment
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Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv-Anadolu Efes Istanbul | RS Round 3 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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Saben Lee announces himself to the EuroLeague! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night
- 01:54
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Georgios Bartzokas: 'Shaq McKissic knows how much we trust him'
- 00:46
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Saben Lee: 'This court has definitely shown me love'
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Saben Lee announces himself to the EuroLeague! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:59
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Evan Fournier: 'The EuroLeague? So far, so good'
- 03:28
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Olympiacos Piraeus-Zalgiris Kaunas | RS Round 2 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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Sasha Vezenkov: 'I have to help my team in different ways'
- 00:18
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Papanikolaou hits a buzzer-beating three! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:22
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Improbable volleyball buzzer-beater by Rivero! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night
- 03:31
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AS Monaco-Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv | RS Round 2 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
“The most important [thing] is that we took the win tonight,” Nikola Milutinov, who paired his 11 points with 8 rebounds, told EuroLeague TV. “It was a tough game for us, especially when we put ourselves in a bad position in the first half, when Maccabi was playing amazing in the second quarter. But in the third quarter we stepped up, everybody was playing more aggressive and better defensively and this is what got us back in the game.”
Energized by a rigid defense, Olympiacos’s offense took over, with the guests outscoring Maccabi 10-28 in the third quarter. Sasha Vezenkov and Evan Fournier stood out for yet another game, with the latter taking over to inspire Olympiacos’s comeback with 10 points and 2 assists in the third. Fournier also nailed a big triple to make it 81-85 with 2:29 remaining before Vezenkov stayed ice cold from the line, hitting 4 of 4 when it mattered most to clinch a 91-94 road victory.
This was the fourth game in a row where Fournier and Vezenkov scored at least 18 points each, with the two Olympiacos stars netting at least 20 points apiece in the last three duels. Their performance on offense has played a key role in Olympiacos extending its winning streak to five wins, with the Greek side currently boasting a 7-3 record.
Next up is a tough clash against Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz in Piraeus, where Olympiacos will look to protect its home court. Should Bartzokas’s men maintain the defensive level they produced in the third quarter away at Maccabi, they would have made a big step towards remaining undefeated at home this season.