Olympiacos Piraeus accomplished a thrilling win on the road against EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, clinching the match 84-83, showcasing their resilience and determination. Despite not scoring for the last one and a half minutes, the Greek team held their ground to secure the victory.
Sasa Vezenkov proved to be pivotal, overcoming illness as coach Giorgos Bartzokas noted, by contributing 21 points, with 16 of them coming during the first half. His performance also marked the milestone of reaching 2500 points in the EuroLeague, adding to the excitement of the win. Alongside him, Evan Fournier and Alec Peters delivered commendable performances, scoring 18 and 14 points respectively.
Fournier remarked post-game, “We wanted to come out being very aggressive with a defensive mindset and... we were very aggressive in the end,” which echoed the team's approach through the match. Olympiacos managed to pull through, even when faced with key player absences, including Nikola Milutinov, who was sidelined due to illness, and Milan's big man Josh Nebo, missing due to injury.
The match started with back-and-forth action, with both teams initially tied at 19-19 by the end of the first period. Olympiacos held onto a slim lead of 41-40 at halftime, bolstered by Peters’ clutch basket just before the buzzer. The game intensified as Olympiacos ended the third quarter with 64-60, propelled by Fournier’s contributions, yet Milan quickly regained water again, keeping the pressure on the Greeks.
The closing stages of the game were fraught with tension. Milan briefly took the lead after a three-pointer from Giampaolo Ricci, bringing the score to 66-65. But Olympiacos responded, with Peters edging them back to 67-66. The lead continued to fluctuate until the game stood on the brink, with the score narrowing down to just one point, 84-83, as Milan capitalized on scoring opportunities.
With only seconds left, both teams fought hard; Vildoza for Olympiacos missed his chance, allowing Bolmaro to bring it down the court for Milan, who unfortunately turned the ball over, sealing the game for Olympiacos. Head coach Bartzokas noted the success was more than just scoring but involved strategic play, stating, “We had to play with a short lineup... protecting the paint and grabbing defensive rebounds was the key.”
This win is significant for Olympiacos, now placing them at 12-6, tied alongside Monaco for stronger playoff positioning. Their grit and adaptability, particularly under the strain of missing key players, suggests they may have chiseled their place as formidable contenders this season.
Fournier shared,
