By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
Olympiacos Piraeus fought fire with fire against one of the top defensive teams in EuroLeague and defeated Olimpia Milano 82 – 66 at home. The Reds had a tremendous defensive second half, where Milano was held to just 28 points to ultimately suffer their first loss after three straight wins.
Alec Peters scored a season-high 16 points to set the tone for Olympiacos on offense, along with Kostas Slouka (eight points, nine assists no turnovers). Thomas Walkup finished with 10 points, four assists and four steals while having a powerful defensive contribution that was made fans in Peace and Friendship Arena sing his name multiple moments.
Billy Baron was the only player in double figure for Milano, with 12 points, all of them in the first half. He was one of the main reasons his team bounced back after a 27 – 15 deficit in the first quarter to balance things 41 – 38, a bit before the break.
Everything changed in the third quarter, however. Olympiacos‘ physical defense and Milano’s inability to convert even open shots, led to the hosts assuming a double-digit lead once more. The visiting side scored just six points in the period with only two baskets as their opponents went up 59 – 44 and then increased their lead to 20, never to look back.