By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Olympiacos qualified for the fourth straight season in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four, after beating Real Madrid in Game 4 of the playoffs.
The final score was 86-84, with the hosts making the comeback from down 15, and Alberto Abalde missing the chance to win the game at the buzzer.
Evan Fournier returned to action after missing Game 3 with 23 points, Kostas Papanikolaou scored 12, and the duo of Sasha Vezenkov and Nigel Williams-Goss with 10 points each led the charge for the Reds.
“We have two more steps for the trophy”, said team captain Papanikolaou after the game, setting the tone and the expectations for the Final Four.
Madrid got 21 points from Mario Hezonja, Dzanan Musa added 12, and Sergio Llull had 11, which were not enough.
Madrid was missing Gabriel Deck and Serge Ibaka, an announcement which was made one hour before tip off.
A thriller until the end
Real Madrid, with an 11-3 run, got to a 19-11 lead and closed the first quarter up by five (21-16).
Olympiacos managed to trim the lead to two (22-20), however, Madrid pushed the lead back to nine points (43-34), while the halftime score was 47-42.
Madrid closed the first 20 minutes of action with 8/14 threes, Mario Hezonja scoring 13; however, the hosts committed 14 fouls, which resulted in 17/19 free throws, Evan Fournier having 14 points.
At the start of the third quarter, Fournier got the goal-foul, the fourth of Edy Tavares, and Olympiacos got the 48-47 lead.
It was just the for a 16-4 run that gave the Reds a 58-51 lead after a three by Kostas Papanikolaou. Olympiacos closed the period leading 68-65.
The fourth quarter opened with three three-pointers, two by Papanikolaou and one by Luca Vildoza, pushing the lead to 77-65.
Olympiacos got a 15-point advantage (82-67) with seven minutes left, and Real Madrid reacted with an 11-0 run to close the gap to four (82-78).
On a very crucial play, with three minutes left, Tavares was called for his fifth foul. Fournier lost the ball in the next play, Llull stole it, missed a lay-up, and Vezenkov, with his first three of the game, an amazing contested shot, made the score 85-78, two minutes before the end.
Still entering the last minute, Madrid trailed by three (85-82) after four straight points by Alberto Abalde and Dzanan Musa. Olympiacos lost the ball, Campazzo missed a three, the guests also missed in the next possession, and Real Madrid had the chance to tie the score with 16 seconds on the clock.
Campazzo was fouled, made two free throws (85-84), and next Fournier was also fouled. He missed one, made the second (86-84), Madrid had one last possession, but Abalde missed a three at the buzzer.
Photo credit: EuroLeague