By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
In Euroleague’s game of the week, Olympiacos made a big come-back and prevailed over Anadolu Efes (87-91) in overtime after an impressive match. This was the third straight win for the Reds (4-1), while the hosts suffered a painful defeat (2-3).
Giannis Sfairopoulos’ team had the chance to win the game in regulation, but D.J Strawberry made 1/2 free-throws and the match went to overtime, as Jayson Granger missed a three-pointer at the buzzer (76-76). In the extra time, the match was close, but two shots by Ioannis Papapetrou and Strawberry and a crucial steal by Daniel Hackett let the Greeks claim a big victory.
For the winners, Giorgos Printezis was the top scorer with 17 points and four more players scored in double digits. On the other hand, Granger had 26 points for the losing squad, as Thomas Heurtel added 12 points and six assists.
In the beginning, Olympiacos‘ players played great defence and executed well offensively. As a result, they managed to take a clear advantage (6-12, 9-18) and retained it until the end of the first period (13-20). In the second period, the Reds played even better and extended the lead to 15 points (15-30), with a 2-10 run. But, Dusan Ivkovic’s team fought back. They played strong defence and conceded only six points until the end of the half, while they made a 15-6 run and were down by six (30-36) after 20 minutes in the game.
In the second half, Efes made a great start. With a 15-7 run, they took a small lead (45-43, 51-47), making a great job on both ends of the floor. The Reds, though, stood tall and tied the game at the end of the third quarter (54-54). In the last ten minutes, the match continued to be a derby (57-58, 62-60), but the Turks earned a seven-point lead with six minutes to go (67-60). Granger was unstoppable (23 points) and Efes took a double-digit advantage (72-61), but Olympiacos came back again and tied the game with one free throw from Strawberry (76-76), as Granger missed the three-pointer at the buzzer and the match went to overtime.
In the extra time, the match was a close derby, with both team executing very well offensively (81-81, 84-84, 87-87). But, Papapetrou, Strawberry and Daniel Hackett sealed the deal (87-91).