By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
Fenerbahce Beko had put the Olympiacos‘ widely acclaimed offense to the most challenging test in the EuroLeague playoffs. Prepared thoroughly, the players of the Turkish side had done their homework and it sometimes looked like they knew the Olympiacos playbook as well as the Reds themselves.
This knowledge was translated into action and Fener‘s tactics paid off, especially in the Game 2 and Game 4 wins. The efforts on the floor were personified to a large extent by forward Nigel Hayes-Davis. He had done an exemplary job in the Game 4 win against MVP favorite Sasha Vezenkov to force him into having a season-low two points, while scoring nine out of his 12 points in the last period.
But the overall quality of Olympiacos and the individual prowess of players such as Kostas Sloukas (22 points, six assists), Vezenkov (17 points, five rebounds) and Kostas Papanikolaou (14 points, 11 rebounds) were overwhelming for Fenerbahce in the decisive Game 5 (82-70). It was the first game in the series where Olympiacos scored more than 80 points.
“When we play bad on offense we give them chances to run and get in transition,” Hayes-Davis told Eurohoops as he and his teammates were walking toward the exit of Peace and Friendship arena. He struggled with five points (0-4 shots) and five boards in another night of almost zero rest for him since he spent 38:17 on the floor. He finished the series with an average of playing time of 37:49.
“They are a front-running team when they play at home,” Hayes-Davis added. “They can get the crowd behind them. Make shots and feel good. We kind of shot ourselves in the foot there. Helping them play free with our bad shots.” Fenerbahce players not named Marko Guduric (26 points on 8-12 threes) combined for 0-15 from beyond the arc.
Last Friday (28/4), Fenerbahce had won Game 2 on the road to steal the important homecourt advantage that first-seeded Olympiacos fought for during the entire regular season. Giorgos Bartzokas’ squad reclaimed it courtesy of a spectacular buzzer-beater by Kostas Sloukas in Game 3.
Hayes-Davis and his teammates reacted to force a return to Piraeus and were up in the score 29 – 31 in the mid of the second period of Game 5. A counterattack of 15 unanswered points by Olympiacos pushed Fener back in a stretch that proved to be fatal for the visiting team.
“It’s worse because it’s our fault,” Hayes-Davis believes.” “We played three near-perfect games against them. And, honestly, we were one buzzer-beater away from winning the series 3-1. But we came back here for a Game 5. Then we got a little away from our game plan. And that kind of put us in a bad spot. They went on a 15-0 run at one point. We got ourselves into a hole that we were never able to get out of.”
Hard defense was a guide for Fenerbahce throughout the quarterfinals. But Olympiacos turned the tables in Game 5, answering in the same currency to punch the ticket to the Final Four.
Does Hayes-Davis believe that he and his teammates lost the physical battle in Game 5? “No,” he answered. “There’s another battle we lost but I want to keep my money so I won’t talk about it.”