In a dominant display on the road, Olympiacos secured a 90-73 victory over Paris on the 25th game day of the Euroleague, taking sweet revenge for their earlier 96-90 defeat at home in the first round.
The Piraeus side played confidently in front of 1,500 fans who made the journey to the “City of Light,” cruising to a commanding win.
Although Paris, led by Nadir Ify and T.J. Shortz, managed to reduce the deficit from 20 to just 6 points at one stage, Olympiacos never lost control of the game. Giorgos Bartzokas’ players consistently responded with key plays, preventing any further Parisian rally.
With the win, Olympiacos improves their record to 18-7, maintaining their hold on first place in the Euroleague standings. The result is even sweeter after Fenerbahce‘s victory over Panathinaikos (4/2), giving Olympiacos a two-win lead over the second-placed Turks (16-8), who still have a postponed game against Paris scheduled for March 2. Additionally, Olympiacos is now two wins ahead of Monaco (16-9).
Sasha Vezenkov starred for Olympiacos, finishing with 23 points, 17 of which came in a brilliant first-quarter performance. His shooting was near perfect (6/6 free throws, 4/5 two-pointers, 3/5 three-pointers), while also contributing 6 rebounds and 2 assists. The team’s French star, Evan Fournier, also had an impressive showing, scoring 18 points in the city where he was born and raised, hitting 3 out of 10 three-pointers, earning applause from the home crowd.
Nigel Williams-Goss stepped up in the absence of injured Thomas Walkup and Luca Vildosa, contributing 14 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals, and 1 assist. Giannoulis Larenzakis was vital in the second quarter, scoring 10 of his 18 total points from behind the arc. Nikola Milutinov added 10 points and 7 rebounds, continuing his excellent form in the paint.
Paris, the surprise team of the Euroleague this season, struggled against the Olympiacos defense, finishing with just 73 points. Despite a valiant effort from Ify (19 points) and Shortz (15 points and 9 assists), the French side’s shooting woes were evident, as they managed only 9 out of 37 from three-point range. This defeat leaves them with a 14-10 record in the competition.
The game’s four quarters ended as follows: 15-30, 31-48, 58-67, 73-90.
Game Summary:
- Paris: Sorch 15, Ify 19 (3 three-pointers), Shortz 15, Ward 10, Hayes 11, Malcolm 4, Lo 3 (1), and others.
- Olympiacos: Vezenkov 23 (3 three-pointers), Fournier 18 (3 three-pointers), Williams-Goss 14 (2 three-pointers), Larenzakis 10 (3 three-pointers), Milutinov 10, Peters 5, and others.
With this impressive win, Olympiacos continues to assert their dominance at the top of the Euroleague, with eyes set on securing a strong position as the playoffs approach.