Dominated the first Quarterfinal

Olympiacos delivered an outstanding performance in the first quarterfinal, scoring 117 points and crushing Kolossos at the SEF by a 41-point margin (117-76).

Our team had 5 players scoring double figures (Milutinov, Walkup, Dorsey, Larentzakis, and Peters), while Nikola Milutinov was named MVP with 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists in a game filled with standout performances and excellent energy.

 

Before the tip-off, Olympiacos, through team captain Kostas Papanikolaou, honored the club’s Greek Champion Junior team, while the entire men’s squad, including Giorgos Bartzokas, posed together with the youngsters for a commemorative photo.

 

Giorgos Bartzokas started the game with Walkup, Dorsey, Ward, Peters, and Milutinov, and both teams appeared highly efficient offensively in the opening minutes. Led by Alec Peters, who scored 7 points in the first 4', the Red & Whites quickly built a double-digit lead (18-8) and imposed their rhythm on the game.

 

However, the first player to reach double digits for Olympiacos was another other frontcourt player. Nikola Milutinov checked out for the first time 8 minutes after entering the game, already posting 11 points and 3 rebounds, making him the top performer up to that point. Despite lacking competitive rhythm, Olympiacos was excellent in the opening quarter, dishing out 10 assists and scoring 35 points to establish a commanding 20-point advantage very early on (35-15).

 

Olympiacos reached the 50-point mark before the 15-minute mark, while the entrance of Giannoulis Larentzakis energized the crowd even more. The Reds & Whites' ’ “cobra,” with 2 three-pointers and relentless energy on both ends of the floor, gave Bartzokas’ team an even bigger boost as they extended the lead to 30 points (61-31) 2' minutes before halftime.

Our team closed the first half with a double score advantage, having reached an incredible offensive tally of 70 points. Remarkably, all 12 players who had appeared by that point had already recorded at least one assist.

 

In the second half, Olympiacos initially lowered the tempo, but after the midway point of the third quarter, they picked up the pace again. With Tyler Dorsey catching fire and reaching 16 points, our team widened the gap even further by the end of the 30'-minute markup, leading by 38 points (93-55). Before the start of the 4th quarter, Olympiacos already had 5 players in double figures (Walkup, Dorsey, Larentzakis, Peters, Milutinov).

 

Nikola Milutinov remained the focal point of our offense, and by the 33' Olympiacos had already surpassed the 100-point mark. The final minutes were merely procedural, as the Red & Whites reached 117 points to the delight of the crowd. Every player used by Giorgos Bartzokas got on the scoresheet, with Milutinov (20 points) and Larentzakis (17 points) standing out.

 

The quarters: 35-15, 70-35, 93-55, 117-76.