Olympiacos unbeaten after surviving Bayern Munich test

Reigning champion Olympiacos Piraeus was given all it could handle and survived a battle at home against Bayern Munich, winning 88-83 at Peace and Friendship Stadium to remain undefeated in Group C. Olympiacos wasted a 15-point third quarter deficit and needed a 12-0 fourth quarter run to improve to 3-0. Bryant Dunston led the charge for Olympiacos with 19 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks and 2 steals. Matt Lojeski added 17 points while Georgios Printezis scored 13 points with 12 rebounds, Kostas Sloukas and Evangelos Mantzaris each scored 12 points and Vassilis Spanoulis struggled with just 10 points. Bayern, which dropped to 2-1, was paced by 20 points from Malcolm Delaney while Nihad Djedovic added 13 points, Bryce Taylor had 11 and Yassin Idbihi added 10 points and 9 rebounds.

First quarter: Bayern unable to come to grips with Spanoulis

Olympiacos coach Georgios Bartzokas made two changes to his lineup with Stratos Perperoglou and Printezis starting instead of Lojeski and Dimitrios Agravanis alongside the trio of Spanoulis, Acie Law and Dunston. Bayern coach Svetislav Pesic had the same first five with Delaney, Djedovic, Robin Benzing, Boris Savovic and John Bryant. Spanoulis started the game with a three-pointer and an assist for a Dunston dunk and a 5-0 Olympiacos lead. Bryant got the guests on the board with an inside layup. Dunston came up with another dunk, following up on a Spanoulis miss to make it 7-2. After Savovic and Perperoglou swapped threes, Dunston increased the Olympiacos advantage to 13-7 with a three-point play. Djedovic scored twice and jumpers by Benzing and Savovic got Bayern to within 16-15. Spanoulis showed the debutants his drive to the lane and then Mantzaris drained a triple just seconds after entering the game for a 21-17 Olympiacos lead. Spanoulis added a jumper in the lane before the champs swiped a pass and hit Lojeski for an easy layup and a 25-19 lead. A free throw by Idbihi trimmed the deficit to 25-20 after one quarter.

Second quarter: Olympiacos extend lead to 10, Bayern fight back

Lojeski opened the second quarter with another layup on the break, which Taylor answered at the other end. Olympiacos turned up its defense and Lojeski got out the break yet again and Mantzaris drained a triple from the right wing for the first double-digit lead 32-22. Taylor knocked down a jumper to snap a 2:34 minute scoreless stretch for the guests. Sloukas re-established the 10-point lead before tip-ins by both Idbihi and Delaney to make it 35-28. Olympiacos however continued to punish Bayern for its mistakes as Printezis got out on the break for a layup before a Sloukas foul shot for a 38-28 Olympiacos cushion. Munich did not shy away with Taylor driving down the left lane for a dunk and two foul shots before Bryant was able to use his size advantage inside to get Munich as close as 38-34. Spanoulis took back the reins with two foul shots and an assist on Printezis’ layin. After two Delaney free throws kept Bayern within 42-38, Lojeski continued his strong game with a jumper and then Mantzaris knocked down his third triple of the game shortly before the halftime buzzer to send the champs to the locker room ahead 47-39.

Third quarter: Munich closes third quarter with 15-0 run

Bayern had the better start to the second half with a Benzing score and a Delaney three to cut the deficit to 47-44. After two straight Olympiacos turnovers, Dunston woke up his team by racing back for a big block on a Savovic layup attempt. Lojeski finally scored for the champs with a three-point play and Olympiacos found itself in the bonus not even three minutes into the quarter. Printezis and Sloukas sandwiched free throws around a Dunston steal and layup as the Olympiacos lead hit double digits again, 56-46. Piraeus took advantage of the foul situation to get extra points and Dunston made 2 free throws and an easy layin after some fine passing for a 64-49 lead and a Munich timeout. It was still 66-51 with 3:11 minutes to go in the quarter when Delaney and Heiko Schaffartzik knocked down back-to-back triples. Benzing added 3 free throws and Idbihi completed Munich’s 0-15 run to close the quarter deadlocked 66-66.

Fourth quarter: Reds survive with 12-0 run

Chevon Troutman opened the fourth quarter with an inside basket to complete the 0-17 surge for a 66-68 lead. Dunston finally scored for Olympiacos, but Djedovic answered and Delaney’s free throw made it 68-71. Sloukas knotted the game at 71-71 only to see Spanoulis miss 2 free throws. Djedovic came down at the other end with a three-point play and then a layup off a nice pass from Bryant as Munich opened a 71-76 advantage with five minutes remaining. Dunston came up big for the champs with 2 foul shots and then a block that led to a Printezis layin as Olympiacos answered with 6 straight points, 77-76. Bayern failed to convert on three straight possessions and Lojeski got out on the break for a layup after which Delaney was whistled for a technical foul. Lojeski split the free throws, but Mantzaris nailed a three on the resulting possession for an 83-76 lead with 54 seconds left. Schaffartzik raced down for a three before Bayern sent Piraeus to the line. Mantzaris missed 2 and then after grabbing the offensive rebound Printezis missed 2 more foul shots. Delaney trimmed the game to 83-82 with a three-point play and after Lojeski and Schaffartzik both split free throws, Sloukas knocked down his 2 free throws with 9.8 seconds left for an 86-83 Olympiacos advantage. Munich worked a very good look to Delaney who missed his three before Printezis’s 2 foul shots with 3.3 seconds to play finished the game.