Olympiacos survived a tough test against FC Barcelona in
Piraeus tonight clinching a vital third victory in the EuroLeague playoff
series. The victory propelled the Reds into EuroLeague Final Four. They will
now take on CSKA in the semifinal clash in Madrid. Vassilis Spanoulis
(193-SG-82, agency: Beo Basket) led the hosts with 17 points and 5 assists.
It was a do-or-die battle for the Catalan team and they
started the game with the right attitude. The visitors snatched a 17:16 lead
after ten minutes. FC Barcelona started to clear off in the second frame. The
Spanish side built a 37:29 halftime advantage. Alex Abrines made it a 10-point
lead for FC Barcelona early in the second half. However Vassilis Spanoulis
scored 7 points in the third quarter for the hosts and helped Olympiacos tied
things up at 50 heading into the fourth frame. The teams traded baskets
throughout the final period. Juan Carlos Navarro gave FC Barcelona a 67:66 lead
with 32 seconds remaining. But Vassilis Spanoulis answered with a layup to put
Olympiacos in front 68:67 with 6 seconds to go. Juan Carlos Navarro knotted
things up at 68 with a free throw at the other end but Georgios Printezis
(206-PF-85, agency: Octagon Europe) drained a buzzer-beating triple and iced
the victory for Olympiacos. He finished with 14 points, while Evangelos
Mantzaris (196-G-90) added 11 points for the winners. Ante Tomic (217-C-87,
agency: XL Basketball Agency) answered with 13 points for FC Barcelona. Tomas
Satoransky (201-PG-91) had 12 points and 7 rebounds in the loss.
Olympiacos: Vassilis Spanoulis 17, Georgios Printezis 14,
Evangelos Mantzaris 11
FC Barcelona: Ante Tomic 13, Tomas Satoransky 12
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