Barcelona extends their impressive streak with a win over Olympiacos ahead of their game against Partizan.
Barcelona secured a remarkable win on the road against Olympiacos with a score of 77-68 in the second round of the EuroLeague. With two consecutive wins, Barcelona is on an impressive run as they prepare for their upcoming game against Partizan in the third round.
Olympiacos and Barcelona engaged in a thrilling contest filled with intensity, comebacks, spectacular plays, and ultimately, a triumph by the visiting Spanish team.
The home team was without key players like Luka Sikma, Shaq McKissic, and Nigel Williams-Goss, while Ignas Brazdeikis made his debut.
Barcelona had a strong start, gaining a double-digit lead in the second quarter, and they held a six-point advantage at halftime. In the second half, the home team mounted a comeback, particularly improving their defense. At the start of the final quarter, they produced a 12-3 run, seemingly securing their second win of the season. However, Barcelona made an incredible comeback with a 13-0 run to seal the win.
Thomas Walkup led the scoring for the home team with 14 points, followed by Alek Peters with 12 points, and Nikola Milutinov with 10 points. In the winning team, Alex Abrines contributed 16 points, Nicolas Laprovittola scored 15, and Rokas Jokubaitis added 10.
In the next round, Barcelona will travel to Belgrade to face Partizan, while Olympiacos is set to take on Milano.
The visitors had a strong start, particularly in their defensive effort. They forced the home team into early turnovers, with Jan Vesely, Nikola Kalinic, and Oscar Da Silva each contributing six points. This allowed Barcelona to quickly establish an 18-11 lead.
A similar narrative continued into the second quarter. The guests extended their lead to double digits at 32-20, but with the fervent support of the home crowd, the home team managed to reduce the deficit to 34-40 by halftime.
The second half started with a strong performance from the home team. After a three-pointer by Isaiah Canaan, the crowd erupted, and Olympiacos managed to equalize. When they took the lead at 44-42 after a 10-0 run, the visiting team’s coach had to call a timeout.
At the end of the third quarter, the score was 54-56 in favor of Barcelona.
In the final quarter, after a three-pointer by Thomas Walkup and some lost possessions by the visitors, Olympiacos took a 66-59 lead, seemingly breaking the game in their favor. The home team tightened up their defense, making it challenging for the guests to score.
However, Laprovittola managed to bring Barcelona back into the game, reducing the deficit to 66-64. A three-pointer by Alex Abrines reclaimed the lead for Barcelona at 66-67. Then, Vesely extended the lead to 66-69, part of a 10-0 run. Another three-pointer by Abrines, making it 66-72, signaled Barcelona’s imminent triumph.
Olympiacos – Barcelona (16:23, 18:17, 20:16
Venue: Peace and friendship
Referees: Pukl, Vilius, Silva
Olympiacos:Walkup 14, Canaan 9, Lountzis 3, Larentzakis 5, Papas, Fall 4, Papanikolaou 7, Bradeikis 5, Peters 12, Milutinov 10, Tanoulis, Abosi .
Barcelona: Da Silva 7, Vesely 8, Brizuela, Kalinic 8, Satoransky 5, Hernangomez, Laprovittola 15, Abrines 16, Parker 3, Nanji, Jokubaitis 10, Parra 3.