A winning start at the SUNEL Arena
Olympiacos defeated Anadolu Efes 89-66 at SUNEL Arena, securing their 3rd win in 4 EuroLeague games.
Jean Montero was our team’s MVP, finishing the game with 16 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists. Eight players scored at least 7 points for Olympiacos.
Before tip-off, Sasha Vezenkov received his award from young Amelia after being named Best One Team Ambassador for last season.
Giorgos Bartzokas started the game with Miller-McIntyre, Fournier, Ward, Vezenkov and Jones. The 'red & whites' came out aggressively from the opening tip, with Vezenkov and Ward leading the way. Olympiacos scored 26 points in the first quarter to build a 10-point lead.
The first half of the second quarter brought a dramatic change in momentum. Olympiacos committed one turnover after another, allowing Efes to cut the deficit to just three points (28–25) with a 9–2 run. It was arguably our team’s worst spell of the season so far. By halftime, the reigning European champions were shooting just 16.7% from 3-point range (3/18), with 8 assists and 9 turnovers, struggling to execute the coach’s game plan.
Olympiacos returned to the court after the half-time break, looking every bit like the European champions. Codi Miller-McIntyre was outstanding at the start of the second half, laying the foundations for the team to gradually establish a comfortable lead. The American filled the stat sheet, recording 8 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists by the end of the quarter. Despite failing to improve their 3-point shooting, the 'red & whites' moved the ball well and extended their advantage to 13 points by the end of the period (62–49).
Olympiacos experienced a few ups and downs in the last 10' of the game, but stepped up the pace again in the second half of the period to seal an emphatic 89–66 victory. Several players stood out, while the team also raised its defensive intensity. Notably, Jones became Olympiacos’ first player to reach double figures with just four minutes remaining in the game. Montero was outstanding down the stretch, finishing as the team’s leading scorer with 16 points.
The quarters: 26–16, 35–31, 62–49, 89–66.
