By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
With Green being a decisive figure once again, Olympiacos took its third victory in this season’s Euroleague while giving Olimpia Milano its first scar in this season’s official games. The Reds overpowered their opponents on the way to a 91-81 win.
It was an 12-0 outburst that spanned from the end of the third quarter until the early minutes of the fourth period that helped Olympiacos become the boss of the game, since the Greek team established a double digit lead which it preserved until the end.
Erick Green was a protagonist his team’s game-winning efforts scoring 8 points during the 12-0 run and finishing the game with 16. Vassilis Spanoulis also added 16 plus 4 assists, while Khem Birch had 12 points and 6 rebounds. For Olimpia Milano, Krunoslav Simon was the most dangerous player with 16 points, while Miroslav Raduljica had 14.
With Vassilis Spanoulis being a focal point in half court plays and by taking advantage of its opponents slow returns on defense, Olympiacos began the game scoring 13 points in 3 minutes to take a lead of 9, 13 – 4. The answer of Milano was swift by the hands of Alessandro Gentile who scored back to back baskets to tie the match. The Reds recovered their lead by putting more options in the offensive equation. One of them, Erick Green banged the downtown basket for the 25 – 19 with which the first quarter ended.
The game retained its up tempo rhythm, with quick plays by both teams, but became more balanced. While the Reds tried to once again establish a double-digit lead, the Italian team that took advantage of plenty mistakes of its opponents as well as offensive rebounds to increasing its scoring opportunities, thus making it a two-point game, 38 – 36. Olympiacos stayed ahead thanks to points from inside the paint and the two teams went to the locker rooms with the 46 – 41 written on the boxscore.
Raduljica and Spanoulis spearheaded the attacks of both teams that continued to walk side by side until Erick Green hit consecutive threes to increase Olympiaocs’ advantage to nine points. The Reds were furious, completing a 12 – 0 run that made it 76 – 61, getting a distance which they could preserve easily. Milano could not respond with the aggressiveness needed to prevent its first defeat in the season.