Real Madrid continues to stand as the table leaders in the EuroLeague competition, increasing their advantage following the team’s 90-85 rematch victory against Greece giants Olympiacos Piraeus. Thursday’s results not only marked Real’s 20th EuroLeague win but also their 20th win at the WiZink Center, adding on to their unbeaten streak (across all competitions) since November 2023.
Unlike their first matchup against Olympiacos this season, Real Madrid quickly took control of the first two quarters thanks to first half performances from Dzuanan Musa (10 points) and Facundo Campazzo (6 points and 5 assist), contributing to a 24 point lead in the second quarter, the highest lead of the night. However, the visitors would try to turn things around in the second half behind Kostas Papanikolaou, whose 15 point performance in the 4th quarter helped the visitors come close to their shortest deficit of the night with 3 points.
Los Blancos were pushed to the final stretch but did not fear as Campazzo sealed the deal in the last seconds of the game with a quick trip to the free throw line, hitting both shots and claiming the victory.
Thursday’s Top Scorers
1. Kostas Papanikolaou (Olympiacos) – 25 pts, 4 rebounds
2. Dzuanan Musa (Real Madrid) – 20 pts, 5 rebounds, 3 assists
3. Mario Hezonja (Real Madrid) – 16 pts, 5 rebounds, 1 assist
Facu’s Quarter
The first quarter had Campazzo’s name written all over it as the point guard did what he does best: make everyone on the floor better! Facu’s stunning passing skills were able to find scorers left and right, assisting Musa with a no-look pass to the basket and Gabriel Deck with two flashy passes to the wings (one to the left wing and the other to the right).
Facu ended his strong quarter with 5 assists and three layups before going on to finish the game with 12 points, 6 rebounds, and nine assists while being 4 for 4 at the line.
👏 Nuestro número 7⃣, MVP @autoheroespana del partido ante el @Olympiacos_BC 👏 pic.twitter.com/tXRUF1QUwY
— Real Madrid Basket (@RMBaloncesto) January 25, 2024
Papanikolaou Did Not Back Down
For Olympiacos, forward Papanikolaou had a spectacular outing in the last two quarters, hitting six shots from beyond the arc (two in the third quarter and four in the fourth). With his help, the Greek team was able to win the second half by 55-38, reducing the deficit to 7 points early in the fourth before bringing it to a 3 point deficit with 42 seconds left in the game.
Papanikolaou was a huge factor in leading Olympiacos’ 21-11 run (in eight minutes) in the third quarter alongside Alec Peters (12 pts, 5 rebounds), as well as scoring half of the team’s points in the last quarter.
Thursday night’s scoring performance marked a career high for the Greek international, finishing with 25 points and with 6 of 8 (75%) shooting from the three-point line and 2 of 4 (50%) shooting from mid-range.
Tavares and Llull
Both Edy Tavares and Sergio Llull were sidelined during Thursday’s matchup following the Club’s release statement of both players undergoing testing this past Saturday. As of right now, the two players will be out for an unspecified amount of time.
It’s a huge blow for Los Blancos; however, they were able to stand their ground against Olympiacos and hopefully continue their winning ways later this weekend without them.
What’s Up Next?
Both teams will play this weekend in their respective leagues, with Real Madrid paying a visit to Gran Canaria on Sunday, January 28 and Olympiacos hosting PAOK BC on Saturday, January 27.
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