Olympiacos BC have been crowned EuroLeague champions for a fourth time after defeating Real Madrid Baloncesto 92-85 in the Final Four championship game in Athens on Sunday, May 24.
The triumph marks Olympiacos’ first European title since 2013, when both coach Giorgos Bartzokas and captain Kostas Papanikolaou were also part of the club’s title-winning campaign.
Despite entering the Final Four as underdogs due to injuries, Real Madrid pushed the favourites all the way. The Spanish side raced to an early 15-3 lead and controlled much of the opening half before Olympiacos fought back to take a 44-42 advantage into the break.
The lead changed hands repeatedly throughout the second half, with Real Madrid leading by as many as six points in the third quarter. However, Olympiacos took control in the closing stages, pulling away after the scores were locked at 80-80.
Evan Fournier led the scoring for Olympiacos with 20 points, while Alec Peters added 16 and Sasha Vezenkov contributed 12. For Real Madrid, Trey Lyles scored 24 points and Mario Hezonja added 19.
Among the crowd of more than 18,000 spectators was NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The final was also overshadowed by crowd disturbances before tip-off, with hundreds of ticketless Olympiacos supporters attempting to force entry into the arena.
Police made several arrests, including fans accused of possessing drugs or flares, while some security officials were detained for allegedly allowing spectators to enter without tickets.
Meanwhile, Fenerbahçe Beko lodged a formal complaint with the EuroLeague regarding issues surrounding ticket allocation and security procedures during the Final Four.
Source: EKathimerini.
