By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
It was a fight until the end, and Real Madrid prevailed, winning 80-72 over Olympiacos.
The “Whites” are still behind in the series, with the Greeks leading 2-1; however, they proved that they are a different team at home, especially in defense.
“We know that the playoffs are defense and not offense, and with our people here to give us energy, we can fight”, admitted Edy Tavares, talking about the Madrid fans.
Tavares had 15 points plus five rebounds, Dzanan Musa and Mario Hezonja added 14 points each, while Alberto Abalde and Facundo Campazzo scored nine points each.
Olympiacos played without injured Even Fournier, and the 21 points of Sasha Vezenkov and the 17 by Nigel Williams-Goss couldn’t win the day.
Mid-season addition Saben Lee added 11 points.
Real Madrid closing it the right way
After an 8-2 start, the hosts extended their lead to seven points (24-17) with Musa already scoring 12 points. Madrid closed the first period up by seven (28-21) and opened the second with a nine-point advantage (30-21) after a shot by Sergio Llull.
Olympiacos, however, with a 10-0 run, got the lead (31-30). Madrid reacted with six unanswered points in a very tense game (36-31), only for Olympiacos to have another 13-0 run and take the lead back (44-36) after four points by Moses Wright and with Williams-Goss already scoring 15 points against his former team.
Hezonja made it a six-point game at halftime (44-38) with Real Madrid scoring just 10 points in the second period. The hosts opened the second half with an 8-2 run to tie it all at 46, and that was the cue for the first made three of Vezenkov in the game, to give the lead back to Olympiacos (49-46).
Still, Madrid wasn’t rattled and closed the period up by two (58-56) with Lull scoring and Vezenkov missing a three at the buzzer.
Luca Vildoza tied the score again to start the fourth period (58-58), but Usman Garuba with a goal foul and Serge Ibaka with a two-pointer created again a five-point cushion for Real Madrid (63-58), with Alberto Abalde extending it to seven (67-60).
Madrid pushed their advantage to 10 (72-62), and Vezenkov with six straight points made it a four-point game (72-68) with three minutes left.
Saben Lee cut the lead to two (72-70) one minute later, Facundo Campazzo replied for Madrid (74-70), and Olympiacos missed two chances to score with Thomas Walkup in the free throw line and then with Edy Tavares stealing the ball from Moses Wright.
Facu made two more free throws (76-70) with 43 seconds left, Lee scored again (76-72), but it was too little, too late, with the Aegentinian point guard of Real Madrid scoring again from the charity line (78-72) and Abalde adding two more (80-72).