Olympiacos rallies past Efes in overtime

In a dramatic Game of the Week, visiting Olympiacos Piraeus rallied from a late fourth-quarter double-digit deficit to force overtime and edge Anadolu Efes Istanbul 87-91 at Abdi Ipekci Arena on Thursday. Olympiacos had a 15-poit margin in the second quarter, but Jayson Granger led a big Efes rally, and the hosts took a 72-61 lead late in the fourth quarter. But Georgios Printezis started an Olympiacos rally that included a clutch triple from Daniel Hackett before a free throw from D.J. Strawberry forced overtime, 76-76. In the extra session, each team hit three times from behind the arc before Ioannis Papapetrou and Strawberry secured the Reds’ win in the final minute. Printezis finished with 17 points, and Othello Hunter had 15 for Olympiacos. Matt Lojeski had an all-round game with 11 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists, while Ioannis Papapetrou and Hackett each also scored 11 in victory. Granger netted 26 points for Efes. Thomas Heurtel add 12, while Dario Saric had 11 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists in defeat.

First quarter: Olympiacos jumps to an early lead

D.J. Strawberry split free throws only 4 seconds into the game to start the scoring. Patric Young scored inside, and Efes point guard Thomas Heurtel got into foul trouble with 2 personal fouls after a minute and 15 seconds. Alex Tyus nailed a baseline jumper for the hosts, but Strawberry scored from close range and then knocked one down from long range, making it 2-8. Dario Saric scored an easy layup, and as both teams ran up and down setting a quick pace, Cedi Osman made a fastbreak layup, but so did Georgios Printezis for Olympiacos, 6-10. After a timeout, Othello Hunter scored inside for the Reds. After Furkan Korkmaz hit a jumper for Efes, Hunter scored again in the trenches and Daniel Hackett hit from downtown to increase the margin to 9-18. Derrick Brown scored a put-back for Efes, but Ioannis Papapetrou made his way to the hoop for a layup on the other end. In the final second, Bryant Dunston made both foul shots, making it 13-20 after 10 minutes.

Second quarter: The Reds go up by 15, Efes comes back

Hunter had a tip-in, but Jon Diebler used a dish from Dunston to score a layup. However, Olympiacos remained in control, not allowing another basket for almost five minutes. Meanwhile, Dimitrios Agravanis made a layup in traffic for the Reds, before Vassilis Spanoulis nailed a three-pointer to extend the margin to 15-28. After a timeout, Vangelis Mantzaris connected with Papapetrou for an alley-oop layup that made it a 15-point contest. Birkan Batuk snapped Efes’s scoring drought with a corner triple, 18-30. Ahmet Duverioglu made a big two-handed slam for the hosts, and after a put-back from Printezis, Jon Diebler nailed a three-pointer and Duverioglu added a put-back to close within 25-32. A tip-in from Hunter helped the Reds keep the hosts at bay, but in the final minute of the quarter, Dunston hit a pair of free throws, and Diebler added one after a technical by Spanoulis to make it 30-36 at halftime.

Third quarter: Efes goes in front, but Spanoulis ties it up

Saric nailed a corner triple to get things going in the third quarter, but Printezis answered with a triple of his own. Saric drove the baseline for a layup, and Granger had an easy driving layup to get Efes within 37-39. Printezis scored inside for the Reds, but free throws from Granger and Saric cut it to 40-41. Lojeski hit a short jumper for the visitors, and Heurtel replied with a floater on the other end. After a timeout, Heurtel buried a three to give Efes its first lead, but Agravanis matched it with a basket-plus-foul. However, Granger drove for a layup-plus-foul, then assisted Dunston for a layup-plus-foul that made it 51-47. Hackett made a move inside to finish with a layup, and Papapetrou drove for a layup, cutting the deficit to 1. Granger scored again, but Spanoulis nailed a three-pointer to tie things at 54-54 at the end of the quarter.

Fourth quarter: Reds rally to force overtime

Hunter dunked after a dish from Papapetrou, but Granger bettered him with a three. Hackett fed Hunter for an alley-oop tip-in and another Reds’ lead, but Granger nailed another three. Brown’s fast break dunk made it 62-58, forcing an Olympiacos timeout. Printezis made a nifty move inside, but Saric hit a wide-open shot from long range, and Granger drove for a layup and a 67-60 advantage. The run did not stop there, as Granger raced through the Olympiacos defense for a fastbreak layup, then nailed a three-pointer to open a 72-61 margin. Olympiacos snapped a 10-1 run with a layup by Lojeski, three minutes before the end of regulation time, and Printezis added a layup to cut the deficit to 72-65. After Brown nailed a jumper, Papapetrou hit a triple 90 seconds before the end of regulation to get within 6. After Heurtel split foul shots, Printezis kept the Reds in it with another layup in traffic, followed by Hackett’s wide-open three, making it 75-73 with 19 seconds to go in the regulation. Granger split free throws, before Hackett made both to put 76-75 on the board with 11 seconds left on the clock. Heurtel missed twice from the foul line, and Olympiacos had a chance to go in front, but Strawberry only split foul shots with 4.5 seconds left in regulation to tie it at 76-76. Efes had last shot attempt, but Granger’s triple missed wide, as the game went into overtime.

Overtime: Olympiacos pulls it out

Granger and Hunter traded baskets inside, before Heurtel and Lojeski traded threes, 81-81. After two minutes with no baskets, Heurtel and Lojeski traded triples again, then Ioannis Athinaiou hit one with 74 seconds to go from the right corner, 84-87. Diebler answered right back with another three-pointer, but Papapetrou got Olympiacos in front for good driving to the hoop and finishing with a reverse layup. The Reds made a defensive stand, and Strawberry raced on a fast break and finished it with a layup to seal the deal.