The 28-year-old center pulled off a complete display on Thursday night
Tyrique Jones brought the energy on both ends as Olympiacos beat Barcelona
Game Report
3 Mins read
Regular Season
Round 25 of 38
Regular Season
Olympiacos PiraeusOLY
8775
FC BarcelonaBAR
Overview
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A whirlwind of a game in front of a sold‑out crowd between two EuroLeague title contenders was decided by a player in just his third appearance for Olympiacos Piraeus. Tyrique Jones provided the initial jolt on both ends of the floor when it mattered most, fueling a fourth‑quarter surge that carried his team to an 87–75 victory over FC Barcelona.
The hosts came out flying, with a red‑hot Sasha Vezenkov pouring in 12 points as Olympiacos built a 27–13 lead after the opening quarter. A Shaquielle McKissic transition dunk pushed the margin to 42–26, but it also triggered a response from Barcelona, which cut the gap to 46–37 by limiting Olympiacos to just 4 points over the final 3 minutes of the first half.
What followed was a defensive showcase by both sides in the final two quarters, with the Reds ultimately coming out on top.
Will Clyburn added 8 points to his tally, with Kevin Punter netting 9 of his own in the third quarter, as Barcelona held the hosts to 13 points for a 59-64 advantage heading into the closing quarter.
When everything indicated that the momentum had shifted in Barcelona’s favor, Olympiacos fought back with Jones leading the charge as his team tightened up its defense and found its groove on the other end.
The hosts outscored Barcelona 28-11, with Jones registering 10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, a block and an assist in the fourth quarter. Bringing the energy off the bench, the 28-year-old center slammed home dunk after dunk on offense and hustled in every possession on the other end, bringing their fans to their feet, with his name becoming a chant on their lips.
Pulling off a complete outing, he finished the game on 16 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals, 3 blocks and 2 assists.
“I’m just trying to come here and be myself,” he told EuroLeague TV after the game. “That’s why they brought me here, so I can be myself. Bring the energy and just play winning basketball. I’m just staying ready for when my number is called. My number was called and I was able to come out there and be myself. Right energy, both offensively and defensively. Chase the game and just continue to get stops.”
Tyson Ward, who ended the duel on 8 points, 5 rebounds and a team-high 5 assists, said at halftime that Olympiacos needed to “weather the storm”, which he predicted was coming in the second half and his team did just that, turning the tide thanks to a 15-2 run in the fourth.
The Reds scored 21 points off Barcelona’s 20 turnovers and 17 off their 15 offensive rebounds. They didn’t hesitate to run the floor, scoring 22 fastbreak points, and dictated the tempo when it mattered most by outrebounding Barcelona 16-8 in the fourth quarter.
“We were really good at rebounding,” Olympiacos head coach Georgios Bartzokas said in the post-game press conference. “We forced them to make a lot of turnovers. And we finally dominated in the fourth quarter through our defense. Everybody sacrificed himself for the team to win.”
Vezenkov stressed that “the team that is successful is the team where everybody accepts his role and is a star in his role.” A tough start to the season, with key players struggling to find their roles, has been followed by eight wins in Olympiacos’s nine games as the team appears to be clicking.
Despite narrowly missing out on the head-to-head advantage against Barcelona, Thursday’s win was a statement by Olympiacos, which aims to go all the way. To do so, they will need to approach every game as a battle and in Jones, they are sure to have the player who will bring that spark when needed.
