A 'birthday party' in a packed Peace & Friendship Stadium
Amid a festive atmosphere at 'home', which was decked out in red and white to celebrate the club's 100th anniversary, our team triumphed 82-70 over Partizan in the 28th round of the EuroLeague and remained firmly in first place atop rankings!
With Sasha Vezenkov, who was awarded the January MVP by the club's Presidents before the tip-off, leading the charge offensively and maintaining focus on his defensive duties, Olympiacos took control of the game early on (13-5, 4'). The Piraeus team moved the ball patiently, displaying a versatile offensive approach (17-9, 6'), and with clear-headed play on both ends of the floor, they closed the first quarter with an 8-2 run in the final two minutes (27-18). In fact, with 1:19 left in the first quarter, Shaquielle McKissic made his debut with the red-and-white commemorative jersey.
The second quarter began with a three-point shot by Luka Vildoza, who entered the offensive equation for the 'red & whites', alongside Nikola Milutinov and Alec Peters. The three of them combined for a 10-2 run, pushing the lead to +17 in the first three minutes of the quarter (37-20, 13'). The visitors responded with an 8-0 run of their own (37-28, 17'), capitalizing on poor offensive decisions that created defensive imbalances. Alec Peters and Evan Fournier stepped up to restore the double-digit lead, with Kostas Papanikolaou hitting a three-pointer to extend the advantage to +16 (46-30), and the halftime score stood at 46-32.
The third quarter began with a 7-2 run, and our team continued to control the tempo of the game (53-34, 22') with intense defense and effective ball movement on offense. This led to several big team plays that excited the crowd, such as the collaboration between Papanikolaou and Vezenkov for a 55-37 score. Partizan tried to stay close, attacking from the perimeter, but Olympiacos found answers, maintaining patience and clarity on offense (60-43, 27'). Milutinov assisted Vezenkov, and Vildoza found McKissic for two spectacular plays, which closed the quarter with our team leading by 13 (64-51).
The 'red &whites' maintained full control of the game in the final period, never being threatened by their opponents (68-53, 32'). Obradovic's team raised their defensive intensity, but they faced a calm and focused Olympiacos side. A buzzer-beating three-pointer from Nigel Williams-Goss (35') halted a brief Partizan run, and Nikola Milutinov dominated both ends of the floor, finishing plays near the basket and playing a key role in defense (77-61, 37'). Our team secured another victory, 82-70, remaining in sole possession of first place in the standings!
The quarters: 27-18, 46-32, 64-51, 82-70.
OLYMPIACOS BC
PARTIZAN
