Real Madrid defeat Olympiacos and will depend on itself to get into the 'playoffs'
The Real Madrid achieved a fundamental victory, essential to continue depending on himself to qualify for the 'playoffs', against Olympiacos 72-63, in a little showy game but very worked from the defense. Holy victory madridista.
Gabriel Deck and his contribution from the low post It was the best news, in the first minutes of the game, for a Real Madrid that, aware of what was at stake, came out focused and with good defense.
Jeff Taylor took over the defense of Kostas Sloukas and Olympiacos ran out of ideas and no score, 9-2 (min.4.45). Only Georgios Printezis was a danger in the first act that ended with 20-11.
The second quarter was that of the old rockers, by Felipe Reyes and Vassilis Spanoulis. The two were felt in their teams and the Madrid captain also put a stopper on the Greek base.
Madrid kept the distance with the rotations and, above all, it always gave the feeling of having dominated the game from the rhythm and defense, because the triple was almost unknown for both teams, 3 out of 12 for Real Madrid and 1 of 8 for those from Piraeus.
At halftime, 36-26, with Deck leading the scoring (14 points) and with Walter 'Edy' Tavares making an effort from minute one for helping the team.
The passage through the changing rooms did not improve the thick attack of both teams, 39-28 (m.22), but Real Madrid maintained the advantage and with two triples from Taylor and Trey Thompkins increased the advantage to 14 points, 47-33 (m.25).
With Tavares anchoring the Greek game under the basket, with Deck being a constant threat, with the defense as the flag and with the pecks of Thompkins, Taylor and Carlos Alocén from the perimeter, Real Madrid began to lay the foundations for victory, closing the third act with 53-38.
Printezis was not decisive in the third quarter and the contribution of Sasha Vezenkov was insufficient to put in trouble to a Madrid little brilliant, but effective in the task.
Vezenkov kept pulling the Hellenic chariot and it was the main cause that Real Madrid did not break the game definitively, 57-42 (m.32.10) and that it threatened with a 57-46 (m.33.30) and 62-52 (m.35).
A triple from Alberto Abalde, 65-52, gave Real Madrid the necessary peace of mind to face the final stretch of the game without shocks and close the victory by 72-63, which allows them to continue without depending on anyone to occupy a 'playoff' place. In Istanbul and before Fenerbahce, the solution.
- Data sheet:
72 - Real Madrid (20 + 16 + 17 + 19): Alocen (4), Taylor (3), Deck (18), Garuba (2), Tavares (15) -starting five-, Causeur (2), Reyes, Rudy Fernández (3), Thompkins (3), Laprovittola (7 ), Abalde (6) and Carroll (9).
63 - Olympiacos (11 + 15 + 12 + 25): Sloukas (5), Jenkins (2), Printezis (7), Vezenkov (22) and Koufos (2) -starting five-, Charalampopoulos, Larentzakis (7), Spanoulis (7), Jean-Charles, Ellis (4) and McKissic (7).
Referees: Borys Ryzhyk (UKR), Milan Nedovic (SLO) and Uros Nikolic (SRB). Without eliminated.
Incidents: match of the thirty-third day of the Euroleague held at the WiZink Center in Madrid (Palacio de los Deportes) without spectators due to the pandemic of coronavirus.
