Olympiacos came out on top in the Greek derby, edging Panathinaikos 97-93 in the third-place game of the EuroLeague Final Four held Sunday in Abu Dhabi. While it offered little consolation after missing out on the final, the Reds ended their European campaign on a winning note.
Panathinaikos made a late push in the closing minutes, but the deficit they had accumulated proved too large to overcome. Despite the intense rivalry between the two clubs, the match had more of a friendly exhibition feel than a do-or-die showdown. Defenses were lax, ball pressure was nearly absent, and fouls were kept to a minimum throughout the contest.
Olympiacos quickly seized control of the game, capitalizing on open perimeter shots to build an early lead. Within the first five minutes, they were already up by double digits (20-10), and they would stretch their advantage to as many as 15 points on two separate occasions (29-14 and 57-42).
Panathinaikos found some rhythm with their second unit on the floor, led by the impressive youngster Samodurov, who helped plug the scoring gap. However, their inability to string together stops on defense allowed Olympiacos to stay comfortably ahead. Coach Georgios Bartzokas gave extended minutes to Moses Wright, who responded with an offensive burst, scoring 14 points and helping his side maintain a solid 57-46 lead at halftime.
By the 25-minute mark, Olympiacos had already tallied 25 assists, a testament to their smooth ball movement and offensive efficiency. Though Panathinaikos briefly cut the lead to five (67-62 at 27 minutes), Olympiacos quickly responded, rebuilding a double-digit cushion (75-64, then 81-69).
The Reds extended their advantage to 86-72 midway through the fourth quarter, turning the final six minutes into a formality. Panathinaikos managed to narrow the scoreline in the final two minutes. But the outcome was never truly in doubt, as strong free-throw shooting from Giannoulis Larentzakis and Alec Peters — who scored 32 points — sealed the win for Olympiacos.
