Euroleague (M/Final): Olympiacos defeats Real Madrid for the title

Thirteen years after their last Euroleague title, Olympiakos had the last word against Real Madrid (92-85) to win their fourth continental title.

Olympiakos is back on top of Europe. Deprived of a continental title since their success against Real Madrid in London in 2013, it was on their home turf that the team from Piraeus once again got the better of the Merengue in an intense Euroleague final. Led by Trey Lyles (24 points, 8 rebounds), the Spanish capital club made a strong start with a 15-3 lead in the first four minutes. However, Piraeus quickly responded with nine consecutive points scored by Sasha Vezenkov (12 points). Nevertheless, both teams ended the first quarter neck and neck, with Real Madrid leading by seven points.

Real Madrid strong in defense

In the second quarter, Alberto Abalde (9 points) first found his range from long distance to give Madrid a double-digit lead. However, Olympiakos remained calm and gradually erased their deficit. A 7-0 run capped by Evan Fournier (20 points, 5 rebounds) put the Greeks back in the lead. Yet, Alec Peters (16 points, 7 rebounds) hit a buzzer-beater to give Piraeus a two-point advantage going into halftime. As the game resumed, both teams traded baskets. However, Real Madrid raised their defensive intensity, going on a 10-0 run to take the lead in the third quarter.

Olympiakos made the difference

Therefore, Sergio Scariolo’s players started the final quarter with a slight four-point cushion. The last quarter saw both teams exchanging the lead, but the margin never exceeded three points until the final two minutes. Taking advantage of Madrid being in foul trouble, Olympus capitalized on free throws by Thomas Walkup (10 points) and Evan Fournier. This resulted in an eight-point lead for the Greeks with 36 seconds left. Real Madrid tried to turn the tide, but it was too late. Two final free throws by Alec Peters sealed the fate of the final, with Olympiakos (92-85) clinching the Euroleague title for the fourth time in their history, succeeding Fenerbahçe, who had defeated AS Monaco last year.