Olympiacos Piraeus had a successful season as it reached the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four for the first time since 2017. Let's take a look back at its outstanding 2021-22 campaign.
Season in review: Olympiacos Piraeus
Biggest win
Olympiacos qualified for the Final Four by downing AS Monaco 94-88 in Game 5 of an outstanding playoff series. The Reds, pushed by a sellout crowd, trailed most of the way and were down 80-81 with over 4 minutes left. Kostas Sloukas had 7 points in a 9-2 run that gave Olympiacos control of the game until the final buzzer. Tyler Dorsey sealed the outcome from the three-point line, getting the basketball party started at the Peace and Friendship Stadium. Shaquielle McKissic led the way with 18 points and Thomas Walkup added 17.
Biggest highlight
It was chosen as the 7DAYS Magic Moment of the season. Sloukas's game-winning shot against Anadolu Efes Istanbul had everything you look for in a highlight. Efes led 84-85 in overtime and Vasilije Micic missed a shot with 10 seconds left. Sloukas grabbed the rebound and found McKissic, who gave him the ball back in the right corner with 2 seconds remaining. Sloukas faked a shot to get Adrien Moerman to fly past him and then buried the game-winner on the buzzer, much to the delight of thousands of Olympiacos fans in the stands!
Impressive numbers
Sasha Vezenkov was chosen to the All-EuroLeague First Team for the first time in his career and his great consistency allowed him to earn this achievement. He had a PIR of at least 20 as many as 13 times during the regular season. Vezenkov ranked fifth in that phase in PIR (17.8) and ninth in rebounds (5.6 rpg.) while shooting the ball well from all distances (67.7% 2FG, 38.8% 3FG, 84.0% FT). He was even better in the playoffs, ranking first in rebounds (6.6 rpg.) and fifth in PIR (18.0). Vezenkov was an all-around leader in taking Olympiacos to its first Final Four in five years.
Bidding farewell
He hinted at it in the Third Place Game; it was probably Georgios Printezis's last EuroLeague showdown. And then after he helped the Reds win the Greek League championship, he confirmed that news. An All-EuroLeague First Team selection in 2016-17, Printezis walks away ranked fourth all-time in scoring (3,599 points), sixth in rebounds (1,452) and seventh in PIR (3,818). Printezis is second on the career charts in two-point shots made (1,194) and games played (375). He helped Olympiacos to five Final Four appearances and win back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013. Most famously, he authored one of the most iconic shots in competition history - a last-second, one-handed baseline floater that gave Olympiacos the 2011-12 EuroLeague crown.