The Legend Reigns Supreme!

Olympiacos defeated Panathinaikos 89-85 in Game 5 of the Stoiximan GBL Finals, clinching the series 3-2 and securing the 16th league championship in the club’s history.

Evan Fournier (22 points, 7 assists), Sasha Vezenkov (19 points), and Nikola Milutinov (14 points, 7 rebounds) were the ones that led Olympiacos’ way to the third and crucial victory over Panathinaikos.

Giorgos Bartzokas started the game with Walkup, Fournier, Papanikolaou, Vezenkov, and Milutinov. The Serbian center, widely regarded as the best center in this season’s EuroLeague, scored the first points of the game. Olympiacos built an early 7-point lead (9-2) in the opening three minutes, forcing Ergin Ataman to call a timeout. At that point, however, the Red & Whites offensive focus dipped, allowing Panathinaikos to cut the deficit to 11-8 through a basket by Kendrick Nunn.

During the second half of the opening quarter, Olympiacos, led by Fournier and Vezenkov, played the style of basketball Bartzokas demands and closed the period with a 9p. advantage (26-17). During that stretch, the EuroLeague MVP scored 11 points, while the Final Four MVP added 7 points and 4 assists.

At the start of the second quarter, Olympiacos struggled offensively, scoring only two points over nearly three and a half minutes as the intensity of the game continued to rise.

That picture changed completely in the latter half of the quarter. The return of Fournier and Vezenkov provided a major offensive boost, as Olympiacos moved the ball more effectively and extended its lead to 12 points by halftime (47-35). The margin could have been even larger had Bartzokas’ players been more accurate from beyond the arc, where they shot a modest 20% (3/15).

Olympiacos opened the second half with aggressive defense, forcing turnovers and converting them into fast-break opportunities. Milutinov became the 3rd Olympiacos player to reach double figures, joining Vezenkov and Fournier, while dominating the offensive boards. The Red & Whies stretched their lead to 20 points (59-39).

Panathinaikos responded immediately, however, with an 11-2 run that cut the deficit to 61-50, forcing Bartzokas to call a timeout with 3:32 remaining in the third quarter. Moments later, tensions flared when Kendrick Nunn sent Vezenkov to the floor, leading to a confrontation between the Panathinaikos guard and Tyrique Jones. Both players were ejected from the game.

The third quarter ended with Olympiacos still holding a 10-point lead (69-59), thanks to a bucket by Fournier, who had reached 17 points at that point. For Panathinaikos, Toliopoulos delivered an excellent performance, scoring 13 points before the end of the period.

In the final quarter, Panathinaikos initially managed to stop Olympiacos only by committing fouls, quickly reaching the team's foul limit. Olympiacos, however, struggled from the free-throw line and was unable to pull away. A 3-pointer by Osman reduced the margin to single digits (76-67), and shortly afterward, a steal and fast-break layup by Shorts brought Panathinaikos within 6 points (78-72).

At that crucial moment, Joseph knocked down a three, and Vezenkov followed with a difficult 2-point basket to restore an 11-point lead (83-72) with 2:38 remaining. The game turned into a thriller in the final minute when Toliopoulos hit a 3-pointer to cut the gap to just 4 points.

In the closing possessions, Bartzokas’ players remained composed and secured an 89-85 victory, sealing the championship in front of their fans.

The quarters: 26-17, 47-35, 69-59, 89-85.