Olympiacos Piraeus became the first team to secure a top-six finish in the 2025-26 EuroLeague regular season after defeating Real Madrid 102-88 on Tuesday at the Peace and Friendship Stadium.
The victory improved the Greek club to 24-12 and guaranteed a direct place in the EuroLeague Playoffs with two rounds remaining.
Olympiacos also opened a three-game cushion over Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens and Zalgiris Kaunas, both sitting at 21-15 in the standings.
It marks the fifth consecutive season the Piraeus club has reached the playoffs and the 17th time since the EuroLeague adopted its current format in 2004-05.
Tyler Dorsey delivered the biggest performance of the night, finishing with 37 points while shooting 7-of-12 from three-point range and 10-of-11 from the free-throw line.
Sasha Vezenkov added 26 points and nine rebounds, continuing a season in which he leads the EuroLeague in performance index rating and scoring average.
The hosts built their offensive rhythm early by spacing the floor and attacking Real Madrid’s defensive rotations.
Olympiacos shot 41.7% from three-point range and converted 16-of-21 attempts inside the arc.
Ball movement also played a central role in the win, with Georgios Bartzokas’s team recording 27 assists against just seven turnovers.
Thomas Walkup and Cory Joseph combined for nine assists while helping organize the offense against Madrid’s perimeter pressure.
Real Madrid stayed competitive early behind strong shooting from Trey Lyles, who finished with 22 points, including six three-pointers.
Walter Tavares added 15 points and nine rebounds in the paint while Facundo Campazzo contributed 14 points and four assists.
However, the Spanish side struggled to maintain defensive stops as Olympiacos controlled the tempo throughout the second half.
The Reds extended the lead with consistent perimeter shooting and efficient scoring in the half court.
Olympiacos also limited Madrid’s ball security advantage, forcing 14 turnovers while committing only seven.
The result continued a strong stretch for the Greek club, which has won six of its last eight games entering the final phase of the regular season.
Consistency has been a defining factor for Bartzokas’s roster, which blends long-time core players with offseason additions.
Vezenkov, Walkup, Kostas Papanikolaou and Nikola Milutinov remain central pieces of the system, while players such as Dorsey, Tyson Ward and Donta Hall have expanded the rotation.
With a playoff spot secured, the next objective for the Reds is finishing in the top four to secure home-court advantage in the postseason.
Olympiacos will visit Hapoel Tel Aviv on April 9 before hosting EA7 Emporio Armani Milan on April 16 to close the regular season.
Real Madrid will look to bounce back when it travels to face Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul on April 9 before returning home to play Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade.
