Olympiakos tops Real Madrid 92-85 in Athens, clinching fourth EuroLeague crown
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ATHENS, Greece — Olympiakos Piraeus captured its fourth EuroLeague championship on Sunday, overcoming Real Madrid 92-85 before a home crowd at the Telekom Center.
Forward Alec Peters converted the game’s final free throw with seconds remaining, touching off city-wide celebrations witnessed by Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo from the stands.
Olympiakos trailed 15-3 after the first four minutes but erased the deficit to lead 46-44 at halftime. Former NBA guard Evan Fournier fueled the rally with 11 consecutive points in the second quarter and finished with a team-high 20.
The Greek club briefly surrendered the lead in the fourth period amid a flurry of turnovers, yet held on as Real Madrid—missing several injured regulars—could not convert a late opportunity to tie. NBA veteran Trey Lyles paced the Spanish side with 24 points.
“Blessed is the only word I have,” Peters said. “After four years of blood, sweat and tears with this group, it’s hard to describe how I feel.”
Head coach Georgios Bartzokas praised his players, noting, “We suffered tonight with Real Madrid; they played an excellent game. I think we deserved it after the way we played all year.”
Real Madrid coach Sergio Scariolo acknowledged his club’s near miss. “In the last seconds, we missed a chance to tie the game,” he said. “We fought against a very, very great team — a powerhouse. I’m very proud of how we played. And we’ll be back.”
Olympiakos advanced to the final by defeating defending champion Fenerbahçe 79-61 on Friday; Real Madrid reached the title game after a 105-90 win over Valencia.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis saluted the victory online, writing, “The top of the EuroLeague has been painted in red and white.” Thousands of supporters gathered in Piraeus, waving red flags and setting off flares as celebrations spilled into the night.
“The feeling is even better than I imagined,” Fournier said amid the festivities. “The celebrations will go on beyond tonight, that’s for sure.”
Source: ESPN
