By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Olympiacos Piraeus extended its outstanding streak against Valencia on the road to 8 – 0. Behind a powerful defensive performance, especially in the second half, the Reds escaped La Fonteta with a 78 – 65 win to improve to 15 – 11.
Valencia dropped to 13-13, losing also the tiebreaker against Olympiacos.
This was the third straight win for Olympiacos in the EuroLeague and first against a Spanish team after seven losses. Isaiah Canaan paced the Greek side with 12 out of 16 points over the last 15 minutes while Moses Wright delivered 10 points and three steals. Shaq McKissic contributed 10 points while Alec Peters posted a career-high 11 rebounds to go with his nine points.
“Everyone on the team knew how important this game was before we dropped the one at home. We had to come right here, play the right way and get the dub,” Wright said. “Also win with a large enough margin that will help us in the rankings.
Semi Ojeleye led Valencia with 19 points and Xabi Lopez-Arostegui had 10 points plus five rebounds before exiting the game with an apparent ankle injury with 1:43 to play. Coach Alex Mumbru was ejected late in the third period with his second technical foul due to protest.
Valencia, that was without Brandon Davies and Victor Claver, led 41 – 40 early in the second half after a comeback from down 11 in the third period. Canaan and Peters combined for nine points out of a 10 – 0 run by Olympiacos that gave the visiting side the lead once more.
The defense of Olympiacos kept working wonders and the team proceeded to establish a double-digit lead and retain it during the last stretch of the game.
“Our defense in the third quarter was really solid. They scored only nine points and that was the key of the game,” Olympiacos coach Giorgos Bartzokas said. “We expected that Valencia will respond and adjust to the problems that we created for them and they did. But our defense was solid especially against Chris Jones who had just two points.”