Olympiacos 80-82 Barça: Giant step forward
Epic victory for the FC Barcelona basketball team with an 82-80 overtime win against Olympiacos in Athens. Roger Grimau's side now just have to win one of the remaining two games in the tie to seal a place in the Final Four in Berlin.
Slow scoring
The tension was palpable from the off in the Peace and Friendship stadium in Greece with both sides finding it difficult get things going on offense. Nerves played their part as the teams went in level at the end of the first quarter at 13-13 all in a low scoring opening period.
In the second quarter the blaugranes held their own with Satoransky and Willy leading the way in point scoring. However, with Wright and Petrusev scoring 11 points each before half time, the home side surged into a 32-25 lead which forced Barça coach Grimau into a time out.
Down at half time
Vesely and Brizuela, the latter featuring for the first time in the tie, pegged the Greeks back before a three pointer from Kalinic right on the buzzer reduced the deficit to five at half time with Olympiacos leading 37-32.
The third period saw the blaugranes claw their way back into the contest with Satoransky and Laprovittola scoring successive three pointers to give the visitors the lead at 38-37. That start was built on by Jabari Parker and Rubio as well as Willy Hernangómez with Barça outscoring the home side 25-14 in the period to make it 57-51 to Grimau's team going into the final period.
Fourth quarter up and down
Hernangómez continued to dominate the boards and helped Barça keep their lead early in the final quarter. However, decisions on the court went against the blaugranes and Petrusev's three pointer put the Greeks back in front at 67-63 with two and a half minutes remaining.
Momentum seemed to be with Olympiacos when Williams-Goss made it 69-63, igniting the crowd in Athens. Captain Abrines then nailed two three pointers to reduce the deficit to two points before a great basket from Laprovittola leveled things up at 71-71 with just seven seconds remaining. The Greeks had a last chance to win in regular time but Abrines saw off Williams-Goss to take the game into overtime.
OT win
The game was decided with five extra minutes. Olympiacos surged ahead at 80-77 and looked to be heading for the win before Satoransky scored a vital three pointer to make it 80-80. With seconds remaning Parker drew a foul and decided the game from the free throw line, scoring two of three to give Barça the win and put them within a game of the Final Four in Berlin.
The first chance to kill off the tie comes on Thursday at 6.45pm CEST in Athens in game four of the quarter-final against Olympiacos.
MATCH STATS
Olympiakos: 80
Barça: 82
OlympiaCos: Canaan (0), Walkup (10), Sikma (0), Peters (8) and Fall (8) - starting five - Williams-Goss (9), Wright (16), Larentzakis (3), Brazdeikis (-), Petrusev (18), Milutinov (-) and McKissic (8).
Barça: Rubio (0), Laprovittola (12), Kalinic (5), Parker (13) and Vesely (16) - starting five - Da Silva (2), Brizuela (2), Satoransky (13), Hernangómez (13), Abrines (6), Nnaji (-) and Jokubaitis (0).