Turkish Airlines EuroLeague: Olympiacos completes Final Four
Olympiacos Piraeus, the multiple former Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champion and Greek A1 giant, has completed the Final Four picture for the 2016/2017 season. The club overcame Anadolu Efes Istanbul in the decider of the remaining Play-Offs series that was still open.
CSKA Moscow and Fenerbahce Istanbul have been waiting for over a week as they both swept their way to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four. Real Madrid entered the showpiece last week, and now Olympiacos is in place.
In the process of winning, the club stopped Anadolu Efes the chance of playing the Final Four.
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Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul, 87-88
This series was arguably won and lost in Turkey. After Anadolu Efes won Game 2 in Greece and Game 3 in Istanbul, the club had home advantage in Game 4 and a chance to win the series. However, Olympiacos managed to take the win and bring the series back to Piraeus for the decider.
With home floor advantage, the Greek giants were simply one step ahead, especially in the second half. In the first quarter, the hosts railed in 25 points during the first quarter and led 25-21 at the first split. Anadolu Efes clicked in offence and defence in the second frame and used a 12-20 run to make it 37-41 through the long break.
That was as good as it got for the visitors as Olympiacos picked up the momentum in the third act and never let it go. The hosts won the third frame and drained 26 points to lead 63-58 through thirty minutes. With the game still open, Olympiacos plundered another 24 points to pull ahead in the closing stanza.
Vassilis Spanoulis is putting in performances that wind back the clock. The playmaker topped the win with 22 points and 6 assists.
Cedi Osman grabbed 11 points in the losing effort, while DeShaun Thomas, Tyler Honeycutt, Derrick Brown, Jayson Granger, and Thomas Huertal secured 10 points each. Honeycutt made his a double-double with 11 rebounds.