Euroleague, Olympiacos-Milan 82-66, Olimpia ko in Piraeus

Day number 17 of the Euroleague. Virtus’ feat in Barcelona on Thursday, while tonight Milan is beaten by Piraeus.

Olympiacos-Milan 82-66

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The positive streak in Milan stops in Piraeus, Olympiacos with a great second half makes coach Ettore Messina’s 500th Euroleague match bitter. After a good start, Olimpia suffers first from Peters’ triples and then from Sloukas and Walkup’s initiatives. Too many turnovers for the Italian champions who also pay for the bad night from the arc.

The race

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Confidence and great executions are the trademark of Olimpia in this period, the start of the match in Piraeus is no exception, with a very difficult basket by Davies and a dunk by Melli, 0-4. Peters lights up the hosts who are insistently looking for the Fall totem, the Davies-Melli axis still works with great efficiency, 5-8. Peters is always the most dangerous offensive end of the Greeks, Fall makes himself felt on the rebound, 11-8 in the 5th minute. Olimpia regains offensive fluidity which forces the second Fall penalty, good impact from Thomas and Luwawu-Cabarrot, 18-15. Without Vezenkov it is Papanikolaou and a wild Peters who keep the hosts ahead, McKissic with a buzzer beater seals Olympiacos’ lead at the first siren, 27-15. Coach Messina’s troop slips to minus 15 and restarts thanks to Mitrou-Long, the defense of the Italian champions is now more aggressive, Baron from the corner for -10, 32-22. The host comeback continues, biting and fleeing in transition, a splendid choral action closed by the triple by Hall, 34-27. Now it is Olympiacos that crashes against the Olimpia wall, the work of Voigtmann and Hines is precious, Milan with only one possession after Davies’ bang. 41-38. The last acute of the first half is from Vezenkov who signs the buzzer beater which leaves the advantage of 6 points for the Hellenic red and white, 44-38 in the middle of the match. Olimpia returns even more determined and finds Ricci immediately reactive, 46-43 after the semi-hook of the former Virtus Bologna. The quick hands of the Milanese defense take away certainties from the landlords, a technician in Messina restores oxygen to Fall and his companions, triple front by Walkup, 52-43. It’s time for the Milanese blackout (only 6 points in the third segment). Another greek fire at the end of the third period, this time it’s Sloukas who makes the triple that signs the new plus 15 at the penultimate siren, 59-44. A couple of referee calls make the visitors nervous, Walkup’s quickness and Sloukas’ management are a factor, Olympiacos flies to more than 21, 68-47 after Vezenkov’s solitary dunk. It is Olimpia’s act of surrender despite the pride of the great ex Hines.

Olympiacos: Peters 16, Walkup 10, Papanikolau and McKissic 9.

Milan: Baron 12, Luwawu-Cabarrot and Mitrou-Long 9