Overtime once again and another win for Olympiacos in Spain
Olympiacos secured its second consecutive overtime victory on Spanish soil, defeating Barcelona 105–100 to improve its EuroLeague record to 5–1.
Sasha Vezenkov was named the EuroLeague Round MVP after scoring 25 points and grabbing 6 rebounds. Mbaiye Ndiaye also delivered an outstanding performance, finishing with 17 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks. Nikola Milutinov missed the game after taking a knock during the match against Valencia, with the team opting to rest him as a precaution.
Giorgos Bartzokas started the game with Codi Miller-McIntyre, Evan Fournier, Ward, Vezenkov and Tyrique Jones. Once again, Olympiacos struggled defensively in the opening quarter, conceding 30 points in the first 10'. Nevertheless, the team’s offense was firing on all cylinders, with Vezenkov scoring 11 points and Miller-McIntyre adding 8, as Olympiacos ended the first quarter trailing by just 4p. (30–26).
In the second quarter, Ndiaye stole the spotlight. The Senegalese player was everywhere on the court, recording 9 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks in a mere 9' time before leaving the game after taking a blow to the face. Olympiacos finished the quarter in spectacular fashion, with Vezenkov making two extremely difficult shots to help the 'red & whites' take a 10-point lead (57–47).
However, misfortune struck the team once again, as Donta Hall suffered an ankle sprain and had to leave the court. During halftime, Jean Montero also reported discomfort in his knee. Both players decided to continue playing despite the pain.
Olympiacos returned from the break highly focused, with Sasha Vezenkov once again demonstrating his excellent form. The Bulgarian forward had reached 22 points by the end of the third quarter, while Tyrique Jones also won several important battles at both ends of the court. Olympiacos finished the period with an 11-point advantage (77–66).
Barcelona came out fighting at the start of the 4rth quarter, determined to get back into the game. With 2:38'' remaining, a basket by Evbuomwan brought the Catalans within a single possession (84–81). With 100 seconds left, Miller-McIntyre knocked down a crucial three to extend Olympiacos’ lead to 7 points (90–83). Barcelona responded once again, however, scoring two consecutive baskets to cut the deficit to just two points (90–88).
In the final seconds, Barcelona hit some big shots, and Robinson tied the game at 92–92 with just 1:8'' on the clock. Olympiacos failed to score on its final possession through Joseph, sending the game into overtime for the second time during the team’s Spanish trip.
In the extra five minutes, Ndiaye was once again sensational. The Senegalese player scored six points in overtime and, alongside Jean Montero, who continued playing despite his pain, helped lead Olympiacos to a hard-fought 105–100 victory.
The quarters: 30–26, 47–57, 66–77, 92–92, 100–105.
