In a thrilling showdown at Movistar Arena, Olympiacos Piraeus punched their ticket to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four for the fourth consecutive year, edging out Real Madrid 84-86 on Thursday night. The Reds overcame a strong first half from the hosts, ignited by a game-changing 2-11 surge to open the third quarter, which gave them a lead they fiercely protected until the final buzzer.
Evan Fournier led Olympiacos with a game-high 23 points, showcasing his scoring prowess. Kostas Papanikolaou was clutch, dropping 12 points, including three massive three-pointers early in the fourth quarter that kept Real Madrid at bay. Sasha Vezenkov and Nigel Williams-Goss chipped in 10 points each, rounding out a balanced effort for the Reds.
Real Madrid fought valiantly, with Mario Hezonja leading their charge with 21 points and Sergio Llull adding 11, but their late comeback fell just short. Despite dominating early, the hosts couldn’t overcome Olympiacos’ third-quarter momentum and clutch shooting down the stretch.
