Olympiacos outlasted Real Madrid 77-71 on Friday night to take a commanding 2-0 lead in their EuroLeague playoff series. Despite trailing by 10 points at the end of the first quarter, Olympiacos rallied in front of their home crowd, securing a hard-fought win in Piraeus.
Real Madrid jumped out to an early advantage with a 25-15 lead in the opening period. A hot start from Mario Hezonja, who finished with 22 points and 8 rebounds, and scoring contributions from Walter Tavares and Gabriel Deck helped the visitors seize control early. However, Olympiacos quickly responded.
Sasha Vezenkov led Olympiacos with 22 points and 7 rebounds, guiding his team through the tough stretches. The Reds outscored Madrid in each of the subsequent three quarters. They went on a 14-4 run to tie the game at 38-38 at halftime, showing their resilience after a rough start.
In the second half, Olympiacos continued to fight back. After an exchange of blows, including triples by Alberto Abalde and Hezonja that briefly put Madrid ahead 45-50, Evan Fournier took over for the home side. Fournier scored 7 consecutive points, giving Olympiacos a 57-54 lead heading into the final frame.
The game-changing moment came in the fourth quarter. Olympiacos went on a 7-0 run to open the period, with Vezenkov adding 5 points to extend their lead. Real Madrid responded with a late push, including a three-pointer from Nigel Williams-Goss and a layup by Hezonja, narrowing the gap to just 67-64. But Olympiacos held firm, with key contributions from Alec Peters and Williams-Goss, including back-to-back triples that put the game out of reach.
Nikola Milutinov also played a crucial role for Olympiacos, contributing 10 points and 5 rebounds. Real Madrid struggled offensively as they shot just 29.2% from beyond the arc and only 72.7% from the free-throw line, compared to Olympiacos’ 90% from the charity stripe.
The series now shifts to Madrid, where Real Madrid will face elimination in Game 3. Olympiacos will look to complete the sweep and advance to the EuroLeague semifinals.
