May 25, 2012
ROAD TO PARIS: Olympiacos
Olympiacos arrives to its second consecutive Final Four and has the chance to win its first Euroleague title since 1997. The Reds matched their high expectations this season by playing attractive, fun-to-watch basketball. Now, with the complete package - experience, athleticism, talent and a great fan base - Olympiacos plans to reach for it all in the French capital.

Olympiacos celebrates Final Four passage!

OFF-SEASON

For the second summer in a row, Olympiacos played a big role in the off-season market. The Reds opted to keep their most experienced players, such as Theo Papaloukas, Nikola Vujcic, Yotam Halperin, Ioannis Bourousis and Sofoklis Schortsianitis, while star swingman Josh Childress stayed on for a second season and Milos Teodosic a third. Olympiacos then added free agents judiciously, bringing established veteran Linas Kleiza and newcomer Patrick Beverley while recalling big man Loukas Mavrokefalidis from on loan. "I saw a big opportunity to develop my career and take a big role on a good team," Kleiza said about his arrival. "Now, I am just trying to expand my game and get better."

REGULAR SEASON

Despite opening the regular season with a resounding home win against Orleans, Olympiacos faced early trouble with a 86-68 road loss at Unicaja. The Reds stayed rock-solid at home, downing L. Rytas 97-73 behind 20 points from Kleiza and moving up to 3-1 with a 105-90 win against Efes in which Bourousis earned weekly MVP honors - 23 points and an incredible 32 index rating in just 12 minutes on court! A road loss against Partizan confirmed that even when the Reds were unstoppable at home, they needed to improve away. "This is the beginning of the season, and I expect better performances from my team," Olympiacos coach Panagiotis Giannakis said after the loss in Belgrade.

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There were some good signs from the very beginning, however. Not only had Kleiza fully adapted to his first Euroleague season in record time, but 22-year-old point guard Teodosic - who had taken over at EuroBasket 2009, leading Serbia to the title game - was now becoming a Euroleague superstar. Once they started winning on the road, the Reds started rolling strongly, taking road triumphs against Lietuvos Rytas in Vilnius and Efes Piilsen Istanbul to win Group B with an 8-2 record, tying for second best in the regular season. Along the way, Olympiacos used its versatility as an advantage more and more, opening the court with Kleiza and Childress together at times and playing twin point guards with Teodosic and Papaloukas.

"Playing alongside Theo is a pleasure. Simply put, I feel more secure. With the ball in his hands, we are under the impression that he can't lose it," Teodosic said at midseason. "He is an expert player and also very generous, always willing to help a teammate. There's not a clear role distribution when we are both on court."

TOP 16

Although it opened the Top 16 with a tough road game, Olympiacos confirmed its good momentum with a pivotal 85-89 victory against Caja Laboral behind 21 points from Childress. The Reds went on to beat BC Khimki and Cibona at home to move up to 3-0 and lead Group H. Olympiacos had added more court vision by inking veteran point guard Scoonie Penn late in the regular season, but it was Teodosic who continued to get better. He was chosen as the Euroleague's January MVP, as he averaged 13 points, 9 assists, 2.3 steals and a 25.3 index rating over four victories.

Milos Teodosic - Olympiacos

"It is a great recognition for me and for my team, because basketball is a collective sport. When they told me that I was Sportingbet MVP of the Month for January, I was overjoyed," Teodosic said about the award. "But I would also trade any individual title or trophy for a team one in no time!"

Olympiacos got all but mathematically into the Quarterfinal Playoffs by edging Cibona 94-97 in Top 16 Game 4. Once again Teodosic paced the winners with 22 points and 6 assists, including 3-of-4 free throws in the final 7.7 seconds to win it for the Reds. Linas Kleiza added 20 in another big game for him. A convincing 102-85 home win against Laboral allowed Olympiacos to clinch first place in Group H. Childress paced the Reds with 20 points and 10 rebounds while Schortsanitis, back in shape and strong as ever, added 19 points in 18 minutes.

"Our record, 5-0, speaks for itself. However now we will face Prokom for a Final Four spot," Papaloukas said about its next opponent. "Having been in that place for another seven times in my career, I can tell you that our job won't be easy."

PLAYOFFS

Olympiacos has been the only undefeated home team in this 2009-10 Euroleague season, so the home court advantage was decisive for the outcome of the series. Prokom, however, started Game 1 with a 0-11 run and had the chance to tie the game in the final minute. Free throws by Teodosic allowed Olympiacos to seal an exhausting 83-79 home win. Kleiza again paced the Reds with 26 points and Teodosic followed with 21. Olympiacos got a 2-0 lead with a 90-73 win in Game 2, as Kleiza had another 26 points. The Reds took off early in the fourth quarter and never looked back.

"Be careful; the series has not ended yet," Kleiza warned after the game. "We have to beat them once more in order to get our ticket for the Final Four in Paris. Prokom has beaten all the good teams at its home."

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Kleiza was definitely right, as Prokom bounced back with a 81-78 home win in Game 3. Prokom led for almost the entire game but Olympiacos rallied from a 15-point deficit to get a final chance to tie it, although David Logan blocked Kleiza's three-point shot at the buzzer. Olympiacos sealed its ticket to Paris with a take-no-prisoners 70-86 road win in Game 4 behind 22 points from Childress. The Reds were happy to have met expectations, but they saved celebrating for what they hope will be later opportunity to do so.

"Olympiacos fans expect a lot more from us. They have been waiting for a trophy for years, but so have the players," Teodosic said. "I think the time has come to win something."

SUMMATION

Half of this Olympiacos team, including most of its stars, were together in last season's Final Four, which gives the Reds a plus in terms of experience and know-how. Papaloukas is in his eighth consecutive Final Four and Vujcic his sixth appearance in seven years, and they have two titles apiece, with CSKA and Maccabi, respectively. Both players would love to win a third together. Kleiza, Childress and Teodosic, who averaged 30 minutes apiece so far this season, are looking for their first Euroleague title. Add a super-competitive boss, Panagiotis Giannakis, who already battled in several Final Fours as a player and coach, one-of-a-kind support in the stands and an athletic, powerful roster and Olympiacos could well be on the right road to finish the 2009-10 Euroleague season in the best way possible.
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
Euroleague.net
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FINAL FOUR SCHEDULE
SEMIFINALS - FRIDAY, MAY 7, 2010
3RD PLACE - SUNDAY, MAY 9, 2010
FINAL - SUNDAY, MAY 9, 2010

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