By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
The new era of Euroleague started with Real Madrid beating Olympiacos 83-65 and demonstrating that this season in which every team will play against each other, things can get really hard for anyone from day one.
Sergio Llull with 22 points was the leader of Whites and 17 years old Luka Doncic added 11 points and 5 rebounds for the Spanish champs who got a big win at the premier of the season, even if after the first 20 minutes of action nothings seemed easy.
Despite an electric start by Llull who scored 15 points in the first quarter and gave to Real Madrid a 24-17 lead, at half time the hosts had just a two points game advantage (42-40) with Vasilis Spanoulis beating the buzzer with a lay up.
However things changed in the second half. Olympiacos just couldn’t buy a bucket and Real Madrid ended the third period with a 62-53 advantage after a techical foul that Dimitris Agravanis received in the last minute. The Greeks picked up their defense, but still they just couldn’t score. With three minutes left Real Madrid was leading by 12 (75-63).
The hosts kept Olympiacos to a total of 25 points in the second half and the only prize left to the Reds was to trim the final points difference. They couldn’t do even that.
Matt Lojeski scored 14 points for Olympiacos, Spanoulis had 12 points, 5 assists and also 5 turnovers, as the defense of Madrid was focused on him like usual. Giorgos Printezis with 11 points was the only other player of the Reds who was a threat to the hosts’ defense.
On the contrary Jayce Carroll (10 p.) and Gustavo Ayon (9 p.) gave the extra boost to Real Madrid when that was needed.