By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Olympiacos B.C. opened their playoff series in style, defeating AEK Athens B.C. 94–77 in a night that felt more like a celebration than a basketball game. Fresh off their EuroLeague triumph, the Reds were still riding the emotional high of becoming champions of Europe, and although they started slowly, they eventually turned the evening into an endless red-and-white party to take a 1–0 lead in the series.
Peters finished as Olympiacos’ top scorer with 17 points, while Hall and Vezenkov added 13 apiece. Dorsey and Jones each contributed 10 points. For AEK, RayQuan Gray stood out with 22 points in defeat.
The atmosphere inside the arena was electric from the opening tip, with fans honoring the new European champions as the commemorative banner was unveiled before the game. AEK, however, showed no fear early on. Led by strong inside play from Gaios Skordilis, who scored six quick points and threw down two emphatic dunks, the visitors stormed to an early 11–4 advantage.
Olympiacos unveiled its banner for the 2026 EuroLeague championship 🏆🥵 pic.twitter.com/CAc0YDvWjh
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) May 28, 2026
Olympiacos gradually settled into rhythm and responded immediately. Trailing 13–7, the hosts produced an 8–0 run to move ahead 15–13 and regain control of the tempo. From there, Sasha Vezenkov ignited the crowd with five consecutive points, including a stunning three-pointer from near midcourt that pushed Olympiacos to a 26–19 lead.
The momentum only grew stronger in the second quarter. Alec Peters came off the bench to a standing ovation and immediately delivered six straight points, helping Olympiacos build its first double-digit lead of the night at 44–31.
AEK refused to disappear and cut the deficit to 62–55 midway through the third quarter, threatening to make the contest interesting again. But a series of costly mistakes allowed Olympiacos to pull away once more. Vezenkov led another explosive run, while Nigel Williams-Goss and the Reds energized the crowd with fast-break plays. The highlight came from Keenan Evans Jones, whose incredible steal and dunk capped a dominant finish to the quarter as Olympiacos entered the fourth period ahead 71–57.
There was one concern for the home side when Tyler Dorsey, who had already gone to the bench with discomfort in his leg, headed to the locker room at the start of the final quarter. Even without him, Olympiacos never slowed down.
The European champions exploded out of the gates in the fourth, opening the period with a devastating 13–5 run to extend the lead to 84–62 within four minutes. At that point, Game 1 was effectively over.
Panathinaikos had it much tougher
The team coached by Ergin Ataman also jumped to a 1-0 score in the series against PAOK, but the home win was a very hard one. Panathinaikos won the game 114-102 after five extra minutes.
Mathias Lessort (21 points) and Nigel Hayes-Davis (18) led the home team, while Breein Tyree (18 points) and Patrick Beverley and Ben Moore, with 17 points each, were PAOK’s top scorers.
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