A late defeat for a shorthanded Olympiacos
Olympiacos fought like European champions despite missing several key players, but ultimately suffered a late 61–64 defeat to Fenerbahce at SUNEL Arena, dropping their EuroLeague record to 5–2.
Sasha Vezenkov led our team in scoring, recording a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
Olympiacos took to the court without Monteiro, Fournier and Tyler Dorsey, while newly acquired John Konchar was also unavailable, as he is expected to arrive in Athens on Tuesday.
Georgios Bartzokas started the game with Miller-McIntyre, Ward, Papanikolaou, Vezenkov and Milutinov. From the opening moments, the 'red & whites' showed they were not about to give in despite their absences. With outstanding defense in the first quarter, Olympiacos built a 12-point lead (20–8). By far the best defensive quarter from the European champions, the team could have established an even greater advantage had they been more accurate from the free-throw line (5/12). Tyson Ward was the standout performer in the opening quarter, finishing with 6 points and 2 rebounds.
Olympiacos' offensive rhythm slowed in the second quarter, and our team went scoreless for more than 5'. However, the 'red & whites' maintained their defensive focus, conceding just f5 points during that stretch. Vezenkov's return to the court provided a spark, as he scored 5 to help Olympiacos head into halftime with a double-digit lead (34–24).
Early in the second half, Bartzokas' players lost some of their concentration, allowing a determined Fenerbahce to cut the deficit to just 2p. (36–34). However, led by Miller-McIntyre and Ward, our team restored their 10-point advantage (44–34). Nikola Milutinov dominated the boards, collecting 12 rebounds before completing 13' of playing time. Nevertheless, the Turkish side refused to back down, with Larkin and Shields knocking down shots from beyond the arc to reduce the gap to 4 points by the end of the 3rd quarter.
In the final 10', Olympiacos found some crucial perimeter shots through Vezenkov and Miller-McIntyre, igniting the atmosphere at SUNEL Arena. Fenerbahce fought back, however, and took the lead for the first time since the opening stages, moving ahead 62–61 with 32'' remaining.
Sasha Vezenkov was called for a controversial offensive foul during one of the game's most crucial possessions, and Fenerbahce got ahead following a basket by Baldwin. The officials then made 3 consecutive controversial calls in favor of the Turkish side. Olympiacos ultimately fell 61–64 after Vezenkov missed his final three-point shot that could have tied the game.
The quarters: 20–8, 34–24, 49–45, 61–64.
