Regular Season
Round 23 of 34
Group Regular Season
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Reds' Michalis Lountzis filled the shoes of Sloukas
Article
3 Mins read
It’s fair to say that Michalis Lountzis has not exactly been a fundamental part of Olympiacos Piraeus’s title challenge so far this season…until, that is, a monster performance from the 24 year-old guard in Friday night’s 76-70 victory over Anadolu Efes Istanbul.
Heading into the game at the Peace and Friendshjp Stadium, Lountzis was averaging 1.1 points, 0.9 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game, with 6:23 playing time and a PIR of 1.8. His season high was 4 points, achieved against Virtus Segafredo Bologna in Round 12, and five of his 10 appearances resulted in 0 points scored.
That was in large part because Lountzis was not really needed, acting as the fifth guard in Olympiacos’s rotation behind Thomas Walkup, Isaiah Canaan, Kostas Sloukas and Giannoulis Larentzkis. But injury to Sloukas meant that Lountzis was given an enhanced role for the visit of Efes, and he stepped up magnificently.
He smashed his previous career high of 5 points by netting 13 with great efficiency, making 2 of 3 two-point attempts and all 3 of his triples. Three of those baskets came in a key phase midway through the second quarter, allowing Olympiacos to take control of the game that would never really be lost despite a spirited Efes attempt to comeback in the final quarter.
Lountzis wasn’t only notable for his offense – he also did a great job on the defensive end by grabbing 7 rebounds and 2 steals, carrying out the far-from-straightforward task of guarding Shane Larkin and Vasilije Micic with non-stop energy and commitment, consequently limiting Efes’s danger men to 10 points apiece.
Lountzis’s teammates certainly appreciated his efforts, with top scorer Sasha Vezenkov using his post-game TV interview to laud just one man: "I will not talk about myself or the game," Vezenkov said. "I will talk about Mike Lountzis, what he did today and what he’s doing lately to step into the shoes of, for me, the best pure point guard in Europe right now.
“To go and play the minutes of Kostas Sloukas is really tough, but he’s always ready and I think this is the most important thing for the victory. When your 12th player, let’s say, is ready to play the game, I think that’s the most important thing.”
And with Lountzis playing like this, Sloukas can recover from injury safe in the knowledge that his understudy is making all the right moves.
Game Videos
- 01:34
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/12/18/TvN8Rz7xLiJ4q131G2Fk2ChFufDpRjgI-1734558979792.jpg]()
Sasha Vezenkov: 'We are a great team and we need to prove it every week'
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/2705678b-bcca-415f-867f-87dc8c8d2cc3.jpg]()
Olympiacos Piraeus-Virtus Segafredo Bologna | RS Round 16 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:21
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/12/18/ML20akc3vtPIkCp4M56Df3LfVIxhRrYI-1734557613341.jpg]()
Larkin and Poirier light it up! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night
- 00:10
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/397f4153-095b-47b1-9f9f-e18c0bd7adc4.jpg?crop=1279%3A719%3Anowe%3A18%3A146]()
Milutinov with a huge dunk! Motorola Magic Moment
- 01:58
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/12/18/sttCfQtyleWBeZTOI8Wpemow8a5GNWmi-1734559270171.jpg]()
Dan Oturu: 'I'm thankful to be on a team like this'
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/cY9Spu0NvE8/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Anadolu Efes Istanbul-Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade | RS Round 16 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:11
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/36806259-9f66-44e5-b34f-d4071f91fb78.jpg?crop=1183%3A666%3Anowe%3A95%3A49]()
A big dunk from Vezenkov! Motorola Magic Moment
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/1412894e-5172-484a-9d4e-12b852388528.jpg]()
Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade-Olympiacos Piraeus | RS Round 15 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 01:23
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/12/13/zLY71NqDJGHSBQRx4f5bngpjT8psfu5C-1734119154037.jpg]()
Rodrigue Beaubois: 'When we play like this, we're very difficult to beat'
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/66cd8665-3775-41cf-b901-f70822433973.jpg]()
Anadolu Efes Istanbul-Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens | RS Round 15 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:31
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/a969d3d4-8ae1-426d-bbc4-8dc5e76bef91.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A47%3A44]()
Oturu dunks over Lessort! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:09
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/8d60cc90-b061-4bb2-8e5a-abda058af8c1.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A138%3A116]()
Poirier posterizes two defenders! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:13
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/888bbe89-53c1-48f5-b6b7-1ce84fd820fe.jpg?crop=969%3A544%3Anowe%3A331%3A62]()
Thompson's half-ending block! Motorola Magic Moment
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/gSh0AE1ujw8/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Olympiacos Piraeus-Paris Basketball | RS Round 14 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:15
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/4f26bb24-b3c1-4c2c-bfb1-d35acabdc51e.jpg?crop=1225%3A689%3Anowe%3A45%3A37]()
Reds go stealing and dunking! Motorola Magic Moment
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/0ff530da-db2f-4dea-b72e-3f1aeb202f4f.jpg]()
Zalgiris Kaunas-Anadolu Efes Istanbul | RS Round 14 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:43
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/12/04/yJsxJM4p2d6gnq49nI3SjpydXXw6vE9k-1733349370174.jpg]()
Shaq McKissic: 'I appreciate Coach for allowing me to play through my mistakes'
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/7e18fc91-7b10-458b-ac54-e73b637e0544.jpg]()
AS Monaco-Olympiacos Piraeus | RS Round 13 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 01:08
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/12/03/SpbHF4HY1DPXok9DVX6Qqf2UJSaF1rKt-1733265615701.jpg]()
Darius Thompson: 'Whoever came in competed'
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/FJpaXHEPEzc/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Anadolu Efes Istanbul-FC Bayern Munich | RS Round 13 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:20
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/b0b54eee-4e11-4843-9f1b-adc96077decc.jpg?crop=1246%3A701%3Anowe%3A0%3A53]()
Nwora's huge slam! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:27
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/83d8db43-3bd1-414f-986e-1f896e0789bd.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A100%3A62]()
Bryant beats the buzzer! Motorola Magic Moment
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/2bb79a05-6b2b-48cb-81e0-3ba4a2ec697b.jpg]()
LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne-Anadolu Efes Istanbul | RS Round 12 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:09
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/897c988b-5c64-4a7a-a453-904a3935743a.jpg?crop=893%3A503%3Anowe%3A113%3A41]()
Bryant bullet-pass feed for Poirier! Motorola Magic Moment
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/3fd47d46-1057-44e7-8a55-5b24ba352d51.jpg]()
Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade-Olympiacos Piraeus | RS Round 12 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/LLAQ-3xQlsE/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Olympiacos Piraeus-Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz | RS Round 11 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 01:15
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/11/21/vfQEXrG4nvbfbuI3KYuDNZAEBX9Yb4jP-1732224141174.jpg]()
Evan Fournier: 'It's a privilege and a pleasure to play in front of these fans’
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/682d4129-3f07-4c67-a998-91e30a90a6b0.jpg]()
Anadolu Efes Istanbul-Paris Basketball | RS Round 11 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:12
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/3599f7fc-5479-4165-be1d-4eb7c0d87c97.jpg?crop=1262%3A710%3Anowe%3A44%3A44]()
Willis throws it down! Motorola Magic Moment
- 01:27
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/11/14/NRaBSMw7tbply1Q42qdCuirlaswOckxW-1731628448414.jpg]()
Vincent Poirier: 'We made the right play at the right moment'
- 01:07
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/11/14/NIRBtMcJZX6G9PKWDNVKEhL3VSfw0RP1-1731627614364.jpg]()
Sasha Vezenkov: 'We are more than happy'
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/v2UN5hWpeio/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Real Madrid-Anadolu Efes Istanbul | RS Round 10 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:41
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/11/14/WCVSyp7UORCo5j9QhdtI8Fex8zJwzXIr-1731624027511.jpg]()
Unbelievable block by Thompson! | Motorola Magic Moment of the Night
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/GAahGoLP8mc/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv–Olympiacos Piraeus | RS Round 10 highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:09
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/ab4fc6c5-033c-4e28-b9de-6556d0682e82.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A107%3A62]()
Poirier says no! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:22
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/69b70a4b-a874-4ab3-bdd0-eeda2ff52cb0.jpg?crop=1350%3A760%3Anowe%3A0%3A55]()
Poirier’s putback with interest! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:15
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/51bc2d2d-ea86-424e-802b-1cc3841084cf.jpg?crop=808%3A454%3Anowe%3A270%3A56]()
Darius Thompson’s huge steal and slam! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:54
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/11/12/Kv54mFs1WEo4y8f53in26tSb4bkiNPnI-1731450732845.jpg]()
Rodrigue Beaubois: 'We have so much talent'
- 01:00
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/11/12/QkWnsxEcIVVAVXCeP6E7OrJseYGagdho-1731450766360.jpg]()
Nikola Milutinov: 'This is why the EuroLeague is so strong'
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/31b1b3bf-f957-4bae-9fac-d4480dd4fdfc.jpg]()
Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz-Anadolu Efes Istanbul | RS Round 9 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/e39b5d5c-233a-4266-93e7-07b525ab25ec.jpg]()
Olympiacos Piraeus-LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne | RS Round 9 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:15
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/d42e45cb-c38c-4f0e-8ce3-f98efcdf4f99.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A129%3A94]()
Oturu rejects Diop! Motorola Magic Moment
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/9XlNrSbFaFo/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Straight from the court: Fournier and Vezenkov analyze Greek derby outcome | Post-game show
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/VqglhccWNHE/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens-Olympiacos Piraeus | RS Round 8 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 01:23
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/11/08/dFyqHTzLRYwE43sl07HhTdMmmOQuFpnA-1731100739780.jpg]()
Sasha Vezenkov: 'I missed this derby so much'
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/5162b243-df0d-4adf-9aee-58c318e8f6a1.jpg]()
Anadolu Efes Istanbul-AS Monaco | RS Round 8 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:09
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/dc7da48a-08b4-41be-b57c-6cce87b46924.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A145%3A0]()
Thompson finds Oturu! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:16
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/888bbe89-53c1-48f5-b6b7-1ce84fd820fe.jpg?crop=1025%3A577%3Anowe%3A260%3A54]()
Thompson throws it down! Motorola Magic Moment
- 01:42
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/67a45145-909c-4243-a8f1-cb6b85acb1c4.jpg?crop=2400%3A1350%3Anowe%3A372%3A0]()
Shaq McKissic relives his best Greek derby plays
- 01:06
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/10/31/UJ4eBynjlAnUuyrsokyZYOoAWMgYwXN3-1730416436320.jpg]()
Nikola Milutinov: 'We showed what we can do'
