By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
One shot, one kill. That was the story of the first game of the 2022 EuroLeague Final Four between reigning champion Anadolu Efes and Olympiacos Piraeus. And it was Vasilije Micic’s lethal instict that decided the outcome with a 3-pointer almost at the buzzer.
There wasn’t much too analyze after this kind of finale for Olympiacos guard Tyler Dorsey who gratiously tipped his hat off to Micic for the winning play.
“What can you say after this game. All credit to Micic,” Dorsey said. “He made a big shot. We played good defense. It was heavily contested. And he made it. It could’ve gone to overtime but that’s how the game is. It was a hard-fought battle and it’s a tough one for us.”
After going scoreless in the first half, Dorsey found some of his offensive touch in the third period and at the moment when Efes was looking to establish a double-digit lead. The American player hit consecutive buckets when his team fell down by 11 points to help Olympiacos remain relatively close. He then drained a 3-pointer that beat the third-quarter buzzer and put his team once again at a shooting distance.
He finished with 11 points on 4-11 shots.
“We didn’t lose the game,” Dorsey said when asked if there was a stretch that was particularly hurtful for Olympiacos. “It’s a game of runs. We were up early, they answered, we came back again. A lot of things can happen in four quarters. It was a game that’s about one shot in the end man. What can you say.”
Dorsey and his teammates played in Stark Arena but the atmosphere in the gym was pretty reminiscent of a packed Peace and Friendship in Piraeus since over 10,000 Olympiacos fans traveled to Belgrade for the Final Four, making their presence as loud as it gets..
“Their support have been great all year,” Dorsey said. “It felt like homegame for us. It was tough not to give back.”
After a dissapointing result in the semifinal, Dorsey admitted that he’s not have any particular feeling when it comes to the upcoming third-place game since it’s insignificant for him.
“I don’t know. It’s tough. Nobody remembers, second, third or fourth. It’s all about the champion,” Dorsey said.