Olympiacos defeated Fenerbahce 79-61 in the EuroLeague Final Four semifinal in Athens in “Telekom Center”.
Olympiacos did not have Keenan Evans, Moustapha Fall, Frank Ntilikina, Monte Morris, and Giannoulis Larentzakis available for this game. Fenerbahce was without Jilson Bango.
Incredible defense was on display from the opening tip. There were more airballs than made baskets and even more missed shots than points in the first three minutes. The scoring drought was finally broken by Thomas Walkup with a tough basket, followed by two quick three-pointers from Tyler Dorsey for an early 8-0 lead.
Fenerbahce did not score for a full seven minutes, and by the time Khem Birch finished with a dunk, the deficit had already reached double digits. However, the experience of Nando De Colo meant a lot for the Turkish side, as he helped them get back into the game, and Olympiacos led 18-12 after the first quarter.
As soon as De Colo left the floor, Sarunas Jasikevicius’s team once again fell apart. Olympiacos completely dominated defensively and forced another long scoring drought. The lead kept growing for the Reds, who pushed it to a game-high +17 in front of a loud crowd in Athens.
This time, Fenerbahce’s scoring drought lasted six minutes and was finally ended by a dunk from Chris Silva. Just like in the opening period, the quarter ended better for the Istanbul team, as Tarik Biberovic hit back-to-back three-pointers, but Olympiacos still maintained a solid lead at halftime, 33-24.
I @Thortontucker puts on the afterburner to get back for the CHASEDOWN 💨🛑@Moto #MotorolaMagicMoment @FBBasketbol pic.twitter.com/JszA1lp7mN
— EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) May 22, 2026
PHOTO: Alec Peters in the first half of the Olympiacos vs. Fenerbahce game 😅👌#OlympiacosBC pic.twitter.com/n1hAGQqWt4
— Basketball Sphere (@BSphere_) May 22, 2026
A very bad piece of news for Fenerbahce at the start of the third quarter was the long-awaited awakening of Sasha Vezenkov. A difficult three-pointer, followed by an easy layup, and in no time Olympiacos regained full control of the game.
When Tyler Dorsey also found his rhythm again from the start of the game, Georgios Bartzokas’ team, to the delight of the home fans, pushed the lead to +20. However, the reigning champion should never be written off.
After an 11-0 run, Fenerbahce responded with 10 straight points, finally getting some production from Talen Horton-Tucker, who had struggled with his shooting before the third quarter.
But what good did it do? Evan Fournier stopped the run with a three-pointer, and then followed another show from Vezenkov, who helped his team build a strong lead (56-41) heading into the final quarter.
The big man on FIRE! #MotorolaMagicMoment @Moto I @Olympiacos_BC pic.twitter.com/a3MG9TSoYK
— EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) May 22, 2026
Tarik Biberovic made sure the outcome would remain uncertain for a while longer. Once again, he was accurate from beyond the 6.75 line, and then finished a drive through contact, converting the basket and bringing his team back to a single-digit deficit.
This forced Georgios Bartzokas to call his first timeout of the second half, and it paid off immediately. Olympiacos responded once again—this time through Nikola Milutinov, who punished the opponent’s small lineup.
The Serbian center dominated the glass, and from those extra possessions, Evan Fournier and Alec Peters hit three-pointers to effectively put an end to the semifinal midway through the final quarter.
Sasha Vezenkov finished with 16 points, including as many as 14 in the third quarter for Olympiacos. Tyler Dorsey scored 15 points, while Alec Peters added 17 and was the one who finished off Fenerbahce in the final quarter. Tyson Ward also made a significant impact off the bench with 10 points.
Nikola Milutinov set a personal record for rebounds in a Final Four game. His previous best was eight, and today he grabbed 13 rebounds along with six points.
It is also worth noting that the incredible Alec Peters shot a perfect 7/7 from the field.
For Fenerbahce, Tarik Biberovic scored 17 points, Talen Horton-Tucker added 16, and Wade Baldwin finished with 10 points.
Olympiacos will now fight for the EuroLeague title against the winner of the second semifinal between Real Madrid and Valencia.
