A big win over Baskonia in overtime
It took Olympiacos an extra 5' minutes to secure a 102-101 win over Baskonia for the 21st round of the Euroleague and is now focusing on the second game of the double-game week, this time, against Real Madrid.
With Williams-Goss facilitating and Moustapha Fall executing, our team showed its willingness to try and impose the rhythm in the game against Baskonia (7-11, 5'). A game of special importance for our captain, Kostas Papanikolaou, who reached 350 games with the red & white jersey, most ever played by any other player in the European history of our team. Olympiacos leaned on its defense and hence stopped the hosts at 7 points for more than six minutes, however, some bad choices and lost rebounds, allowed the Basques to balance the game (11-11, 7') and lead at the end of the quarter (17-16). The second quarter began with five quick points by Shaquielle McKissic and a three by Vildoza (23-24, 12'). The game tempo favored the hosts though who had delivered both from long and middle-range, taking advantage of offensive rebounds (30-28, 15'). The 'red & white' defense was inconsistent, and the ball was not moving as it should have, leading to the half-time score of 42-40.
The third quarter began with Baskonia 'running' a partial 9-4 (51-44, 23') taking advantage of our team's poor percentages. With Cabarrot leading the offense, the Basques struck from the perimeter playing up-tempo and took a +10 lead (57-47, 24'). Olympiacos dropped the difference to 4p. (59-54, 27'), but the hosts quickly scored another 6 points and were once again at +10 (65-55 and 69-59, 28'). In the last two minutes of the third quarter though, our team run a partial 8-0 streak with two back-to-back threes by Vezenkov and McKissic and made a two-point game (69-67).
McKissic scored another three that gave our team the lead (71-72, 32'), with Baskonia replying in the same fashion. One more three, this time by Fournier, made for a one-point game (76-75), with the hosts finding offensive solutions against our team's defense, but not finding one for the French guard/forward who scored two more threes, making the score 85-83 at 37'. The last two minutes of the game were nail-biters. Sasha Vezenkov dished a beautiful assist for Fall (87-85) and with 39'' on the clock, Shaquielle McKissic dunk and tied the score (87-87). Baskonia kept its cool from the free throw line (89-87) and our team moved the ball around with great composure, up until McKissic gave another assist to Fall that tied the score 89-89 with 11.8'' on the clock. Our defense reacted effectively in the last play of the game and hence the overtime.
During these extra five minutes, Nigel Williams-Goss and Shaquielle McKissic led the score for the 'red & whites', with Goss scoring an extremely decisive 2-pointer that made the score 99-101 and a crucial free throw (99-102) that prompted the huge 102-101 road win!
The quarters: 17-16, 42-40, 69-67, 89-89, 101-102 (extra time)
