Heading into Friday’s Greek Derby with Panathinaikos Athens, league leader Olympiacos Piraeus had cause for concern that controlling the paint might prove difficult. After all, big man Moustapha Fall – who bagged 19 points and 9 rebounds when the Reds won in Athens in December – was suffering from flu symptoms and it was unclear how much of a role he’d be able to play in Round 32.
Indeed, Fall was only able to make a modest contribution, providing a solid but unspectacular 8 points and 4 rebounds. But that didn’t matter, thanks to an outstanding performance from the man who alternated with Fall at the 5: Tarik Black.
The multi-club veteran, who is in his first season with Olympiacos, sparked his team in the second quarter when he embarked on a personal 9-0 run in the space of just 81 seconds, also adding a steal and a blocked shot to almost single-handedly keep his team competitive during a strong phase of the game for Panathinaikos.
