By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
In this kind of big games, sometimes the devil is in the details. It might be a cliche but in the end it’s all about who wants it more. Some extra hustle plays, a self-sacrificing leap over opposing bodies or being extra physical despite fatigue will make a difference, especially if the match is close.
And an incredible, goalkeeper-style “plongeon” by Spanoulis early in the 2nd half to save a loose ball, was pretty much an ideal sample of the burning desire of Olympiacos to return to the EuroLeague Final Four. Something the Reds achieved after beating Anadolu Efes 87 – 78 in Piraeus making the 3 – 2 in the series.
The impact of the Reds’ captain wasn’t limited to heroic dives to save a possession of course. Spanoulis concluded the best quarterfinal series of his career with 22 points – career high in the playoffs – and 6 assists.
Co-captain Giorgos Printezis (14 points) was the one to shove the dagger into Efes‘ heart with a 3-pointer for the 83 – 74 and 1:44 remaining. The Turkish squad that fought hard throughout the whole game didn’t have the strength nor time to recover from such a deficit.
Perasovic‘s players had put some great teamwork on the floor, something evident by the fact that six of them scored in double figures. Cedi Osman had 11, Tyler Honeycutt 10 plus 10 rebounds, while Jayson Granger, Derrick Brown, DeShaun Thomas and Thomas Heurtel also dropped 10 points apiece.
Efes was even up 41 – 37 at halftime thanks to a well-balanced, smart performance of both ends with its athletic forwards at the spotlight, exploiting all sorts of mismatches brilliantly.
However a dynamic 9 – 0 second half entrance by Olympiacos put them in the driver’s seat. They never left it, despite their guests’ efforts that kept them in hot pursuit until the final two minutes. Ioannis Papapetrou’s (8 points, 2/3 from downtown) and Erick Green’s (10 points) timely interventions from the perimeter kept the Reds safe until Printezis’ decisive bucket down the stretch.