Olympiacos Piraeus relied on a strong frontcourt performance to secure a 90-80 win over Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz on Thursday at the Peace and Friendship Stadium. The Reds shot just 18.2% from three but converted 31 of 44 two-pointers, extending their home winning streak to nine games.
Sasha Vezenkov, Nikola Milutinov, and Tyrique Jones combined for 52 points, with Vezenkov leading the way with 20 on 9-for-11 shooting inside the arc. Milutinov added 17 points and six rebounds, while Jones scored 15, including 11 in the fourth quarter, to help seal the win.
Baskonia began the game strongly, taking a 24-19 lead after the first quarter despite Milutinov scoring 10 early points for the hosts. Olympiacos responded with a 10-2 run in the second quarter, but the visitors kept the game close, trailing 41-40 at halftime.
The third quarter saw both sides trading baskets, with neither able to pull away. In the fourth, Jones dominated inside, prompting Baskonia coach Paolo Galbiati to call him “a beast” in the postgame press conference. Vezenkov continued his hot streak, finishing the double-round week 19-for-22 on two-pointers for a total of 44 points.
Olympiacos shared the ball effectively despite poor three-point shooting, registering 26 assists as a team, with Thomas Walkup contributing seven. The Reds also controlled the boards, outrebounding the visitors 39-28.
For Baskonia, Eugene Omoruyi scored 18 points, Mamadi Diakite added 11, and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot contributed 14, but the visitors struggled to match Olympiacos’s interior efficiency and finished 27.6% from three-point range (8-of-29).
The victory moves Olympiacos to 22-11, holding second place in the EuroLeague standings, while Baskonia falls to 9-23. The Reds will travel to Spain next week to face Valencia Basket, hoping their frontcourt can replicate Thursday’s performance. Baskonia will host Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade on March 25.
