By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
Olympiacos registered their fifth victory in a row and 18th overall in 25 games of the EuroLeague regular season by beating Brose Bamberg 87 – 79 in Piraeus.
The Reds made another step towards securing one of the Top 4 spots that hand homecourt advantage in the playoffs while the German team dropped to 9 – 16 and practically lost its last mathematical chances for making the postseason.
Nikola Milutinov registered a career-high 26 PIR after scoring 16 points on perfect shooting (6/6 from the field, 5/5 from the free throw line) and grabbing 6 rebounds while Jamel McLean also added 16 points, same as Giorgos Printezis for the Reds. The bulk of their contribution came in timely moments that proven to be decisive for their team’s victory.
After a balanced 42 – 42 first half, Printezis took over with 7 points in the third period. Meanwhile, Milutinov contributed points, rebounds and lots of dirty work that allowed captain Vassilis Spanoulis plenty of pathways to the basket. The three-time Final Four MVP finished with a team-high 17 points plus 8 assists.
When Bamberg tried to fight back, courtesy mainly of the efforts of Dorell Wright (23 points) and Maodo Lo (16 points), McLean finished the job for Olympiacos by scoring 12 points in the fourth quarter.
The American big guy scored for the 82 – 72 and then the 84 – 74, always giving an answer to the Bavarians’ comeback attempts in a strong fashion and preserving a double-digit lead for his squad.
When Spanoulis made it 87 – 76 with 2 minutes left, it was all over. Coach Luca Banchi subsisted Daniel Hackett to allow him a standing ovation by Olympiacos fans that adored him during the previous two years when he was wearing the Red and White jersey.