Olympiacos, final triumph in Euroleague: knockout of Scariolo’s Real Madrid

In the end, Olympiacos did it. The Greeks conquered the fourth Euroleague in their history by beating Real Madrid 92-85 at the end of an intense and twist-filled final. It was a triumph with an even more special flavor because it came at OAKA, home of Panathinaikos’ historical rivals.

Decisive Evan Fournier with 20 points and Alec Peters with 16, while Real’s 24 by Trey Lyles and 19 by Mario Hezonja were not enough. For Georgios Bartzokas it is the second European title thirteen years after the first, also then against Madrid.

The start is all Real’s, dragged by an irrepressible Lyles who immediately signs the +12. Olympiacos, however, reacts with Vezenkov and Walkup, quickly getting back into the game until 19-26 at the end of the first quarter. In the second period, the red-and-whites complete the comeback thanks to Fournier and Peters, closing ahead 46-44 at halftime.

In the third quarter the tension rises, also due to a hard contact between McKissic and Campazzo that threatens to degenerate the game. Real tries to stretch with Hezonja and Feliz, but Olympiacos stays hooked and closes down by only four points (61-65).

The last ten minutes are a point-to-point battle. Hezonja signed the 80-80 triple with two minutes to go, but Jones and Walkup answered right back. In the final decisive free throws by Fournier and Peters, while Real wastes the last chances with Feliz and Campazzo. At the buzzer the red and white celebration can start: Olympiacos is again European champion.