Barça died standing in their clash against the leader, who visited the Palau blaugrana in this double match week. A victory would have been very important, both morally and in terms of standings, where there is maximum equality.
Offenses Prevail Over Defenses
Barça started with Satoransky, Punter, Parra, Jabari, and Fall. Initially, there was an exchange of baskets between both teams. Both teams showed offensive fluidity in the opening minutes.
After the first quarter, the scoreboard showed a result of 18-22. Despite the equality, Olympiacos was the team that was ahead on the scoreboard for most of the first half. However, a final push from Barça put Joan Peñarroya's team ahead at halftime (47-45).
Maximum Equality in the Second Half
After the break, a 9-2 run put Barça with their maximum lead on the scoreboard, +9 (56-47). At that moment, the Greek reply arrived. The Hellenes, led by Vezenkov, a strong candidate for the season's MVP, reacted.
So much so that with a 0-10 run, they took the lead on the scoreboard (56-57). At the end of the third quarter, a one-point advantage for the visitors (65-66).
Heart-Stopping Finale
The last quarter arrived, and with it, the blaugrana blackout. Olympiacos came out with three more gears than the locals and went +7 with 67-74. However, Barça hadn't said their last word.
A three-pointer from Brizuela lifted the Palau, but that energy led Barça to make some hasty decisions. Despite this, when the team seemed dead, a new three-pointer from Brizuela brought the team back to life. The score was 82-84 with 2 minutes remaining.
At that moment, Vezenkov's figure emerged again, continuing to lead his team. Despite this, Barça managed to tie the contest again with two free throws from Kevin Punter. The American once again completed a great performance with 20 points and a 31 rating.
But the worst was yet to come. With 18.9 seconds to play, Olympiacos had the option to win. Evan Fournier took advantage of a great screen from Milutinov and scored a layup in the last second of the game.
That basket set the final score at 88-90, causing a new tough defeat for Barça, in this case due to the manner. After this game, the blaugrana team stands with a 14-12 record in the Euroleague, occupying the ninth position. The next European match will be away, against Real Madrid, on February 27, after the Copa del Rey.