By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Real Madrid saw a very shorthanded Olympiacos Piraeus team coming back from 24 points and making it a one-possession game down the stretch before taking a 90 – 85 win at home.
Dzanan Musa led Real Madrid with 20 points and five rebounds while Mario Hezonja scored 16 points and Facu Campazzo contributed 12 points, nine assists, and six rebounds.
“Everything happened,” Campazzo said on his team’s big lead getting erased by Olympiacos. “We have to control what we can control like playing hard defense. We didn’t do a great job on that in the second half. We let them play and score in different ways and came back in the game. We got to improve in this kind of situations.”
Campazzo also hit a crucial layup to make it 88 – 83 with 24 seconds remaining and then drained a pair of free throws to put Real up 95 – 90. Shaq McKissic went 0-2 from the line on the other end and Olympiacos lost a game in which they pulled a tremendous comeback.
“Our response in the second half as great but we missed some crucial rebounds,” said Olympiacos coach Giorgos Bartzokas. “You always need to fight for the win, no matter how many absences you have,” he added in regards to his team missing centers Moustapha Fall and Nikola Milutinov along with guard Nigel Williams-Goss.
Two halves, two pictures
In his best game this season, Olympiacos captain Kostas Papanikolaou had 20 out of his career-high 25 points (on 6-8 triples) in the last 13 minutes to propel a turnaround from down 60 – 36 early in the second half. The Reds began making the triples they were missing wide open in the first half and cut their deficit to single-digits, 68 – 59 early in the fourth period.
Hezonja put Real ahead 80 – 66 but Olympiacos answered with a 2 – 12 run. After four straight points by Musa, Peters from under the basket and Papanikolaou from deep put the visiting side at a shooting distance, 86 – 83 before Campazzo’s decisive action in the last seconds.
Deck added 14 points for Real Madrid. Peters had 10 points plus five rebounds and Luke Sikma notched 10 points plus 10 boards.
“Of course, the second half was very different,” said Real Madrid coach Chus Mateo. His team was without center Edy Tavares, Sergio Llull and Guerschon Yabusele. “We knew they’re going to come back. We tried to trade baskets instead of play defense and they were more successful on their 3-pointers than the first half. But this is another victory against a team that has the heart of the champion. We’re happy because we have 11 wins at home.”