Our Olympiacos in the EuroLeague final

Olympiacos were dominant at Telekom Center Athens, defeating Fenerbahce 79-61 in front of 13,000 passionate fans, dethroning the defending EuroLeague champions and advancing to Sunday’s final. 

Olympiacos played fantastic defense from the opening minute and got outstanding performances from both power forwards. Sasha Vezenkov scored 16 points, while Alec Peters added 17. Ward, Dorsey, and Fournier also finished in double figures. However, the MVP for Olympiacos based on efficiency was Nikola Milutinov, who ended the semifinal with 6 points and 13 rebounds.

Georgios Bartzokas started the game with Walkup, Dorsey, Papanikolaou, Vezenkov, and Milutinov. Both teams looked nervous early on, with the first basket coming from Walkup two and a half minutes after tip-off.

The poor three-point shooting from both sides was interrupted by Tyler Dorsey, who hit back-to-back threes to make it 8-0 for Olympiacos before the first TV timeout. Fener scored their first basket of the semifinal in the 7th minute through Khem Birch, while De Colo made it 12-5 on the next possession.

About two minutes before the end of the first quarter, Tyler Dorsey became the game’s first double-digit scorer, reaching 11 points with a pair of free throws. Fenerbahce cut the deficit late in the quarter behind Horton-Tucker, and the first period ended 18-12 for out team.

At the start of the second quarter, Alec Peters immediately became a key factor in the game. The American forward successfully finished each of his first four offensive possessions, while Olympiacos maintained their intense defense, allowing Fenerbahce’s first basket of the quarter six minutes after it began. However, the Turkish team again reduced the gap with Biberovic scoring from beyond the arc.

The European champions took advantage of Olympiacos’ poor finish to the first half and managed to cut the lead to single digits (33-24).

Bartzokas’ team once again started the quarter brilliantly defense wise and, led by Dorsey and Vezenkov, extended the lead to +20 (44-24). At that point, however, Fenerbahce responded with a 10-0 run, bringing the deficit back to halftime levels.

In the third quarter, Olympiacos had EuroLeague MVP Sasha Vezenkov in unbelievable form and quickly restored a 15-point advantage. Vezenkov scored 14 points in that quarter alone, which ended with the score at 56-41.

At the beginning of the final quarter, Olympiacos once again allowed the Turkish team a run, who tried to mount a comeback. With Biberovic and Horton-Tucker leading the charge, Fenerbahce cut the lead to seven (54-47). At that moment, Bartzokas’ players got to swiftly respond. Fournier and Peters hit huge shots, and the Greek champions rebuilt a 14-point lead (66-52) with five minutes on the clock.

Tyson Ward stopped Fenerbahçe’s final comeback attempt. The American forward scored consecutive points and gave Olympiacos a 16-point cushion (71-55).

The game ended with an 18-point difference (79-61), as Olympiacos returned to the EuroLeague final after three years. Their opponent will be the winner of the Real Madrid vs Valencia matchup.

The quarters: 18-12, 33-24, 56-41, 79-61.