Record-breaking first quarter headlines a dominant Olympiacos victory over Maccabi / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: Panagiotis Moschandreou/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images Credit Panagiotis Moschandreou/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images

Olympiacos Piraeus (7-4) snapped their two-game losing skid in style. The Greeks tied the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague record for a single-quarter advantage by demolishing Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (7-4) 90-73 (35-8, 16-18, 20-19, 19-28).

Player of the Game EFF 29 Konstantinos Sloukas Points 18 Accuracy 4-8 Rebounds 3 Assists 2

Olympiacos dominated in the first quarter, winning it 35-8. The last time a EuroLeague team won a single period by 27 was back in the 2001 playoffs when Kinder Bologna outscored Addeco Estudiantes 39–12 in the 2nd quarter of Game 1.

The hosts converted 13 of 19 field goals and only allowed Maccabi to make 3 of 19 in the first period.

The hosts continued dominating for the rest of the game. Olympiacos' advantage was more than 20 points for most of the game, which never allowed Maccabi to have even the slightest chance of victory.

The visitors cut their deficit with a late 10-0 run at the end of the game, but it didn't matter, as Olympiacos came away with a 17-point victory.

Five OLY players scored in double digits tonight. Kostas Sloukas was amazing, leading his team with 18 points (2/2 2PT, 2/6 3PT, 8/8 FT), 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 29 PIR.

Tyler Dorsey supplied 17 points, Sasha Vezenkov added 15 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds. Shaquielle McKissic scored 14, while Moustapha Fall had 12 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals.

"[The support] feels really good," Fall said after the game, expressing his gratitude to their live crowd of almost 7 000 people. "I love the fans. They cheer all the time for me. We have great fans and that’s why we don't want to lose at home. And we were ready to compete today."

Only James Nunnally and Roman Sorkin cracked double digits in scoring for Maccabi. Nunnally finished with 14 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 14 PIR. Sorkin added 10 points and 8 rebounds.

"It was very difficult to turn the game around because the difference was so big," Maccabi coach Ioannis Sfairopoulos admitted post-game. "We lost the game because of the first quarter. A lack of concentration, a lack of energy created this big difference. And it was not easy to get back into the game."

Olympiacos: Kostas Sloukas 18, Tyler Dorsey 17, Sasha Vezenkov 15 (6 AST), Shaquielle McKissic 14, Moustapha Fall 12 (11 REB, 5 AST).

Maccabi: James Nunnally 14 (8 REB, 5 AST), Roman Sorkin 10 (8 REB), Ante Zizic 9, John Dibartolomeo 9, Jake Cohen 8, Scottie Wilbekin 6.

Highlights

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