5th consecutive Super Cup title for Olympiacos!
Olympiacos bested PAOK 101–96 in the Super Cup final in Peristeri to claim the trophy for the 5th consecutive time.
Sasha Vezenkov was the best player of our team, finishing the game with 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 assists. Jean Montero was also outstanding with 20 points and 5 assists, while Evan Fournier added 19 points, with both players making crucial contributions down the stretch to seal the victory for the 'red & whites'.
Giorgos Bartzokas started the game with Miller-McIntyre, Tyler Dorsey, Kostas Papanikolaou, Sasha Vezenkov, and Donta Hall. The EuroLeague MVP was outstanding from the opening tip, recording 8 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 steal in the first quarter. Olympiacos took an 8-point lead (25–17), while also registering 8 assists against just one turnover.
With Jean Montero’s second thriple of the game, the Greek and European champions extended their lead to 30–21. Moments later, a steal and dunk by Tyson Ward gave Olympiacos its first double-digit lead of the night.
Led offensively by the Dominican guard, along with Fournier and Hall, Olympiacos continued to build its advantage, going as far ahead as 21 points (50–29) at 18'. PAOK managed to close the gap slightly before halftime, with Olympiacos taking a 14-point lead into the break (50–36).
At the start of the second half, Kostas Papanikolaou hit back-to-back three-pointers. PAOK, however, responded from beyond the arc, making four threes by the middle of the quarter to cut the deficit to 10 (64–54). The Thessaloniki side continued to find success from three-point range, but Vezenkov was magical at the other end, allowing our team to maintain a lead of around 10 points, ending the 3rd quarter ahead 74–65. The EuroLeague MVP had already reached 23 points and 8 rebounds heading into the final period.
Early in the final quarter, PAOK hit its 15th 3-pointer of the game on 33 attempts to make it 76–68. At that point, Embaye Ndiaye produced some of the most spectacular plays of the game, helping Olympiacos restore its double-digit advantage.
PAOK refused to give up. The Thessaloniki side hit its 18th three to cut the deficit to just three points (92–89) with two minutes remaining, setting up a dramatic finish.
The tension reached its peak in the final seconds, with PAOK getting the deficit down to its smallest margin of the game. However, Fournier and Montero made the right decisions when it mattered most, and Olympiacos secured a 101–96 victory to lift the first trophy of the season.
The quarters: 25–17, 50–36, 74–65, 101–96.
