The veteran center dominated on both ends with a complete outing against Panathinaikos
Moustapha Fall showed in derby why his impact on Olympiacos is so profound
Article
3 Mins read
Regular Season
Round 29 of 34
Group Regular Season
w
w
w
w
w
l
w
w
w
w
Olympiacos Piraeus’s first play of the night against Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens was not drawn for Sasha Vezenkov nor Evan Fournier, the team's two leading scorers. Moustapha Fall won the tipoff, Nigel Williams-Goss received the ball and Olympiacos’s motion offense was triggered, with Kostas Papanikolaou finding Fall in the paint.
What could have been a signature slam for the Olympiacos big turned into a statement block by his Panathinaikos counterpart, Wenyen Gabriel, with possession shifting to the visitors. Yet, what could have been a blow in morale for many bigs, served as a motivation boost for Fall, who pulled off a complete performance, inspiring his Reds to a 76-74 victory at Peace and Friendship Stadium on Friday night.
There are not many Turkish Airlines EuroLeague centers who can reach that level of impact Fall has on Olympiacos’s game. Mathias Lessort might be one of them, but the Panathinaikos star missed out on the derby due to long-term injury.
And Fall made the most of his compatriot’s absence by dominating the paint no matter whom he was called to face inside. The Frenchman was crucial in Olympiacos’s efforts to pack the paint, helping to seal all lanes that could have been used for Panathinaikos’s guards to penetrate.
The visitors had a backcourt advantage due to the absence of Thomas Walkup, but Fall made sure to cover for his teammate on defense. Fall was one of the main reasons why Kendrick Nunn didn’t score a single point in the first half, blocking the MVP candidate’s way to the basket and forcing him off the paint.
Numbers sometimes speak by themselves, but in Fall’s case, they are rarely enough to demonstrate why he is so crucial for Olympiacos. This time, though, they tell the whole truth. Fall shot 5-for-7 from inside, including a big basket to make it 76-69 with 1:17 left on the clock. He finished the game with 10 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists. More importantly, he recorded a season-high 4 blocks, 2 of which came in the first quarter, sending a clear message to whoever tried to attack the basket on Friday night.
“I’m happy when I can help my team get the win, especially against Panathinaikos,” Fall told EuroLeague TV after the game.
An injury that sidelined Fall for several months saw him miss last season’s Greek finals, as well as the first game of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season. Rediscovering his form after recovering from a serious injury is anything but an easy task for a 33-year-old 7-footer. Yet, Fall is gradually finding his footing and Friday’s display may well be a sign that he’s doing so at the best possible moment – just before the playoffs.
With five games to go, Olympiacos has mathematically sealed a top-six spot and it’s pushing to clinch home-court advantage. “We’ve secured our spot in the EuroLeague [Playoffs], so we’re happy about this,” Fall added.
Boasting a 22-7 record, the league leader will look to clinch the top spot in the standings for the second time over the last three seasons. And should Fall find consistency ahead of the postseason, Olympiacos will be a clear favorite to seal Final Four qualification for a team-record fourth time in a row.
Fall’s impact on this Olympiacos team is undeniable. And Friday’s display against the reigning champion came to prove why.