A win over Panionios and off to the semifinals
Olympiacos won the second game in the series against Panionios, prevailing 91-85 at the D.A.K. Glyfada "M. Liougas" and secured a ticket to the semifinals of the Basket League.
With Evan Fournier (18 points) as the clear offensive leader, Olympiacos took control of the game early on. The Piraeus team brought energy to the court and, with focused defense, gained the lead (2-6, 3') and stayed ahead (4-11, 5') throughout the first quarter. Alec Peters and Evan Fournier extended the lead to double digits (14-25, 9'), with the French guard hitting a three-pointer to make it +12 (16-28), ending the first quarter at 18-28.
In the second quarter, our team maintained control of the game up until 27-37 (15'), with points coming from Sasha Vezenkov, Alec Peters, and Giannoulis Larentzakis. However, a series of consecutive turnovers and a lack of focus allowed Panionios to go on an 8-2 run, cutting the lead (35-37, 17'). At that point, the game was temporarily paused after tensions rose behind the Olympiacos bench, when a home fan spat at Sasha Vezenkov.
When the game resumed, Tyler Dorsey halted the home team’s momentum, and the first half ended 40-44.
Nigel Williams-Goss and Shaquielle McKissic led an 11-0 Olympiacos run at the start of the third quarter, pushing the lead to +14 (47-61, 24’). Our team raised its defensive intensity while remaining patient on offense (51-64, 28’), and the quarter closed with a buzzer-beater three-pointer from Evan Fournier for the 57-72 score.
Shaquielle McKissic hit a three to stop a 7-0 Panionios run at the start of the final quarter (64-75). Kostas Papanikolaou connected nicely with Alec Peters for a layup, and McKissic once again hit from deep for a +13 lead (67-80, 34’). The captain helped our team maintain the lead with a three-pointer, and after a steal by Saben Lee, he finished with a powerful dunk for the 75-85 marker.
The hosts responded with a 5-0 run to bring the difference back to single digits (80-85), but Williams-Goss scored with a foul to give our team a 7-point cushion (82-89). Panionios remained competitive until the final minute (85-89), when the game was once again paused, this time due to offensive chants and multiple warnings, prompting the referees to order a partial evacuation of the stands.
When the players returned to the court for the final 01:01, Sasha Vezenkov sealed the win with a bucket, making it 85-91, and our team left with the road victory.
The quarters: 18-28, 40-44, 57-72, 85-91
