By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
ATHENS – After Olympiacos took down Fenerbahce Beko in Telekom Center Athens on Friday, in the opening semifinal of the 2026 EuroLeague Final Four Athens, presented by Etihad, Sasha Vezenkov, the newly crowned Most Valuable Player of the 2025-26 Regular Season, immediately switched focus to the championship game on Sunday. He continued his run by scoring at least 10 points for the 26th consecutive game, logging 16 points with 14 in the second half.
“We have to keep playing as we played in the first 15 minutes of the game. Our defense, for me, was elite, but we had some ups and downs in the last five minutes, and especially in the fourth quarter,” he revealed the halftime break message from head coach Giorgos Bartzokas after allowing the opponents to reduce the deficit.
“Fener has talent, but we played amazingly on defense, and are one more win away from our goal,” continued Vezenkov. “We have to stay humble, because we didn’t achieve anything. We have 48 hours to rest and go and get it.”
“At the end of the day, you have to play the final to win. We played 40 games until now, but it’s not important, because our main goal is on Sunday,” he added.
The 30-year-old forward played only 22 minutes as the Reds utilized their depth.
“We have a lot of talent, plenty of depth, even players that are off the roster right now. So, everybody has to contribute, know their role, and this is important in this team,” noted Vezenkov.
This victory marks another milestone for the three-time champion Olympiacos, which is participating in the EuroLeague Final Four for the 15th time.
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