Lost to Efes
Two days after winning the derby against Panathinaikos, Olympiacos couldn’t overcome the challenge of Efes and was defeated 78-82 at the SEF for the 4th round of the Euroleague.
Our team, still playing without the injured Evan Fournier, Thomas Walkup, Keenan Evans, and Shaquielle McKissic, started the game at full speed. An and-one play by Sasha Vezenkov and three consecutive three-pointers by Tyler Dorsey made the score 12-2 (3’). Efes, however, responded. Taking advantage of mistakes and rushed decisions by the 'red & whites', they went on a 10-0 run to take the lead (14-15). Olympiacos' defense lacked the necessary energy, and the visitors continued to punish from beyond the arc. Alec Peters kept Olympiacos close with three straight three-pointers, ending the first quarter at 25-28.
Tyson Ward tied the game at 28-28 with a three-pointer at the start of the second quarter, but with the lack of a tough defense, Efes went on a 7-1 run to regain control. Ward and Antetokounmpo combined nicely to make it 31-35 (12’), but Efes, playing with more energy, grabbed rebounds, extended possessions, and pulled ahead by 10 (31-41). When Olympiacos increased their defensive intensity - led by captain Kostas Papanikolaou - they went on an 11-0 run to take the lead (42-41, 17’). Frank Ntilikina added valuable contributions on offense, and the first half ended with four straight points by Sasha Vezenkov, giving the hosts a 3-point lead (51-48).
With Tyson Ward sprinting the court and scoring to make it 53-48, and Frank Ntilikina stealing and finishing a play, our team went up by 7 (57-50, 23’). Efes answered with an 11-2 run to retake the lead, but with Nikola Milutinov stepping up and Alec Peters hitting a three-pointer, Olympiacos regained a 6-point lead (67-61). Nevertheless, missed three-pointers and poor defensive reactions allowed the visitors to close the quarter on a 6-0 run and tie the game at 67-67.
Efes took the lead at the start of the final quarter, but our team responded quickly. Tyson Ward brought energy on defense and provided solutions offensively. His facilitated for Donta Hall, lust like Frank Ntilikina later on, and Alec Peters hitting a three-pointer to complete a 7-0 run (73-70). The game remained a tight contest until the end, with Ward feeding Hall for a powerful dunk (76-74), but Efes hit a crucial three-pointer to take the lead in the final minute. Frank Ntilikina scored with a strong individual effort to make it 78-77, but our team couldn’t score again and found themselves down by three with 14 seconds left. The game ended 78-82.
The quarters: 25-28, 51-48, 67-67, 78-82
