The Reds almost completed a famous comeback, but the reigning champion managed to hold on for the win.
Real Madrid and Olympiacos demonstrated why their matchup is a EuroLeague classic
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Thursday night offered Turkish Airlines EuroLeague fans a thrilling clash between Real Madrid and Olympiacos Piraeus that unexpectedly went down to the wire.
Despite the Spanish side taking a 52-30 cushion into the second half, its Greek opponent fought back after the break and outscored Los Blancos 38-55. However, it wasn’t enough to grab what would have been a miracle win at WiZink Center.
Having offered basketball enthusiasts some fantastic contests over the years, the matchup between Real Madrid and Olympiacos delivered yet again, although many may have thought that it was over when Gaby Deck nailed a bucket to make it 62-38 midway through the third quarter.
“At this point it's just about pride, having some type of heart and ego,” Olympiacos’s Shaquielle McKissic said at halftime. “I don't really care what's going on or what people think. Sometimes you have to roll them up and fight.”
An impressive comeback attempt
Despite taking to the court without their two bigs, Moustapha Fall and Nikola Milutinov, and their second-choice point guard, Nigel Williams-Goss, all of whom were out injured, the Reds managed to bounce back. Inspired by its captain, Kostas Papanikolaou, an undermanned Olympiacos responded and made it a one-possession game, 86-83, with 42 seconds to go.
Yet, Facundo Campazzo demonstrated his ability when it mattered most and went all the way to the basket before finishing with a layup in front of Thomas Walkup, one of the finest defenders in the league. A basket by Naz Mitrou-Long was followed by a couple of free throws from Campazzo and Real Madrid clinched the victory to remain unbeaten at home this season.
“The second half was very different from the first,” Real Madrid head coach Chus Mateo acknowledged after the game. “We knew that they would come back. But it’s another big victory against a very good team that has the heart of a champion.”
A game with lots of history
Thursday’s duel was not only a repeat of last year’s championship game, which Real Madrid won 78-79 in Kaunas, Lithuania. It was just one of the numerous exciting games this EuroLeague classic has offered fans over the years.
Last year, Olympiacos won both regular-season games but couldn’t go all the way to the trophy. Yet, last season was not the first time that these two teams had met in the championship game.
Back in 1995, before the modern era of the EuroLeague, Los Blancos beat Olympiacos in the championship game, 73-61. Eighteen years later, the Greek side took its revenge by winning 100-89 against Real and lifting the 2013 EuroLeague title in London, England. The third time the two teams faced each in a championship game was in 2015, when Real Madrid secured a 78-59 victory in the Spanish capital.
An important win for Real Madrid
“We all know what kind of team Olympiacos is, what kind of great fan base they have,” Dzanan Musa commented after Thursday’s battle. “I’ve always respected them. It’s never easy to play against them, and that’s why we cherish this moment and this victory so much.”
Musa delivered a player-of-the-game outing, scoring a team-high 20 points in just over 23 minutes to lead Real Madrid to the win. “Against this team, a big rival, we are always happy to win these types of games,” he added. “It’s never easy against this team, but we are in good form and we’ll continue like this. This win is key for this season, but we know that our objective is to go to the Final Four and win the EuroLeague.”
Boasting an incredible 20-3 record so far, Real Madrid has demonstrated on several occasions why it is considered to be the most complete team in the competition. Los Blancos took to the WiZink Center floor without the MVP of the 2023 EuroLeague Final Four, Walter Tavares, the man who nailed the game-winning basket against Olympiacos in last year’s championship game, Sergio Llull, as well as key forward Guerschon Yabusele, all of whom missed out due to injury.
However, Los Blancos demonstrated once more that overcoming those absentees is anything but an easy task. This might have been the last game between the two teams in the regular season, but we shouldn’t be surprised if Real Madrid and Olympiacos offer fans another great contest this term.