An overtime and a loss
Olympiacos fought but failed to win… The ‘reds’ lost to Real Madrid 82-86 (69-69 at 40’), for the Euroleague’s 15th round.
The teams were shooting extremely bad in the first quarter, which is obvious by the poor score that marked its ending (12-12). However, it is noteworthy that during that time, Olympiacos won the fight in the post, with Kostas Papanikolaou and Octavius Ellis doing a very good job at both ends of the floor.
The ‘reds’ got ahead for the first time at 11’ (14-12), while with Vassilis Spanoulis, Sasha Vezenkov and Hassan Martin in leading roles, they succeeded in securing a +8 margin (27-19 at 17’). However, what they painstakingly got to build, the Spaniards succeeded in bringing down in less than two minutes. The Madrilène struck from behind the three point arc and with got ahead 27-28 after a 9-0 run.
Olympiacos made the score 30-28 following a three by Vezenkov, while the 30-31 score that marked the end of the first half was the result by another three, this time by Sergio Llull.
The guests ran a 7-0 partial and were leading by seven (30-37), however, with good defense and Spanoulis and Martin spearheading the offense, Olympiacos managed to run a partial 18-4, turn the game around and lead by 7 (48-41 at 29’).
Terrible offensive choices and unforced turnovers, combined with Real’s three pointer crescendo, resulted in the Madrid team regaining full control and building a seven point lead (53-60 at 32’). The guests were constantly leading up to 37’ (63-69), but this time, it was Kostas Sloukas’ turn to make the difference and tie the game 69-69 with 28’’ on the clock. About 6’’ before the final buzzer, Shaquielle McKissic stole the ball from Carrol, however, the attempt at a three pointer by Kostas Sloukas at the buzzer was not successful and the game went to overtime.
In the first two minutes of the extra five, Real got a 5 point lead (71-76), but Olympiacos found the stamina to react and with a bucket and one by McKissic, got ahead in the score (77-76). Hassan Martin dominated the post and Olympiacos was ahead by 2 (81-79), with 50’’ remaining to the end.
About 33’’ before the buzzer, Llull scored a three (81-82), Hassan Martin passed to Sloukas with 14’’ to go, but he failed to hold on to the ball and unfortunately the game went to the free throws roulette. Laprovittola made the score 81-84, Sloukas scored one of two free throws for the 82-94 (9.3’’ to the end), while the final 82-86 was written with yet another couple of free throws by Laprovittola.
The quarters: 12-12, 30-31, 51-49, 69-69 Overtime: 82-86.
The coaches’ quotes
The ‘reds’ coach, Giorgos Bartzokas, pointed out: “Two days after the game against Valencia, we played a much better game. We succeeded in playing the way we wanted to. Unfortunately, although we got to lead twice with seven or eight points and also had the ball, we did not make the best decisions and received some big buckets. If I remember well, at the end of the fourth quarter and during overtime, whatever they were shooting would go in. Tompkins and Llull scored decisive threes and of course, they also made crucial free throws at the end. We have had the opportunity to take the win at the end of the regulation. We played good defense, stole the ball and had the chance to score at the transition and to be honest, we found a good shot with Sloukas at the corner, an open shot. That was our chance. But we also made a come back during the overtime, we were competitive, however, a couple of decisions at the end and a turnover decided the game. The next game is against Fenerbahce, we are going to prepare very well for this game and hope to have Printezis with us as well. Congratulations to Real. I would also like to say that I’m upset about Randolph, who had also been my player in the past. I wish him the best and that he returns soon healthy and even stronger”.
Asked whether there had been a thought about fouling on Llull (33’’ before the end of the regulation), he replied: “This hadn’t been the game’s last play so as to make a foul. In general, we were good defense wise. It was a play of guard screening on guard and we had decided to play that push and under. It’s a difficult shot to make. Stopping, looking and taking a shot is a difficult situation. Of course Llull has the ability to shoot like that. Of course, all decisions are judged by the end result. Obviously, it would have been a right decision had he missed the shot, so let’s say that I made the wrong decision since he made it”.
Asked why he chose not to use one more shooter during the last minute of the overtime, he made clear that: “I don’t believe there is any player in Europe that can come into the game from being for a long time in the bench, get the ball, shoot it and score. I played the game with those that I thought were doing good. Only a little before that, we were leading. The only change I made during overtime, was that I took Ellis out and put Martin in. I relied on the guards we had in up to that moment. McKissic is very aggressive, did a very good job in defense and didn’t want to change him. Vezenkov is also a shooter. We tried to find a shot from Vezenkov, but it did not happen. There’s always an if… But I don’t believe that you can all any one player from the bench and tell him, ok go and make the winning shot. That’s why I did not do that”.
Finally, talking about the last play of the regulation, he said: “When we stole the ball and ran the fast break, that was totally a moment for the players to make a decision. He might be a little hesitant about taking the shot, but he passed the ball at the corner and to a very good shooter. I have no complaints from this play. It was a good shot, that we took and we could have won and now be totally happy. Unfortunately, that’s basketball”.
Real Madrid’s coach, Pablo Laso, stressed :”Of course we are happy for the win. It has been a long week for us in Greece and it took us three overtimes to get two wins. It was tough. That says a lot about my players, that succeeded in facing up to two games under difficult circumstances. It was tough for us to get into the game tonight, we did not have rhythm, were not shooting and were always one small step behind. We had advantages that we were not in a position to exploit. However, when we found ourselves trailing by eight, we stayed in the game, focused and came back. Congratulations to my players for the victory and their effort during a difficult week in Greece”.
About Anthony Randolph’s serious injury, he said: “It looks bad, but we’ll see tomorrow in Madrid. It seems pretty serious