Olympiacos Rout Efes in First Home Game

Olympiacos of Piraeus beat Anadolu Efes of Istanbul 89⁠–⁠66 in the EuroLeague on Friday, 9 October. The game started at 20:15 CEST, which is 2:15 p.m. ET (EuroLeague game header and schedule).

It was the club's first home game of the season. Olympiacos had played their first three games away, winning at Baskonia and at Žalgiris Kaunas and then losing 96⁠–⁠94 at Virtus Bologna (EuroLeague results). The win took the reigning EuroLeague champions to three wins and one loss (AP; EuroLeague results). Olympiacos won the title in May, beating Real Madrid 92⁠–⁠85 in the final in Athens (AP).

Home, for now, is borrowed. The game was played at the SUNEL Arena, the home of AEK Athens, where Olympiacos are based while their own arena in Piraeus, the Peace and Friendship Stadium, is rebuilt (Sportando; Eurohoops). The club announced the agreement with AEK on 9 September and said it would stay until the renovated arena is handed over (Sportando). In August its sporting director, Christos Bafes, said the team would be away from that arena throughout 2026 (Eurohoops).

Efes made the brighter start from long range. They hit three three-pointers early, two of them by PJ Dozier, to tie the game at 9⁠–⁠9, but they never led (EuroLeague play-by-play; Greek City Times). Olympiacos were ahead 26⁠–⁠16 after the first quarter, the first of the four ten-minute periods in a game (EuroLeague box score).

The second quarter was the home side's worst spell. Olympiacos scored only nine points to Efes's 15, and a basket by Daron Russell cut the lead to 31⁠–⁠30 (EuroLeague play-by-play; Greek City Times). Olympiacos led 35⁠–⁠31 at half-time.

The third quarter decided the game. Olympiacos scored 19 points to Efes's five at the start of the half to go ahead 54⁠–⁠36, with Codi Miller-McIntyre scoring eight points in that spell from four two-point baskets (EuroLeague play-by-play; Greek City Times). Efes answered through Cameron Payne, who scored eight quick points to bring them within nine at 58⁠–⁠49, but Olympiacos led 62⁠–⁠49 going into the last quarter (EuroLeague play-by-play).

Efes got within ten at 68⁠–⁠58 with just under six minutes left (EuroLeague play-by-play; Greek City Times). Mbaye Ndiaye answered with a three-pointer, and moments later passed to Tyrique Jones for a dunk to make it 73⁠–⁠58 (Greek City Times). Jean Montero then finished the game. He had four points after three quarters and ended with 16, scoring 12 of his team's last 14 points (EuroLeague play-by-play and box score; Greek City Times).

Jones added 11 points and six rebounds, which means collecting the ball after a missed shot (EuroLeague box score). Sasha Vezenkov, Tyson Ward and Ndiaye scored nine each (EuroLeague box score). Payne led Efes with 12, Dozier scored 11 and Jordan Loyd 10 (EuroLeague box score).

The numbers explain the margin. Olympiacos took 49 rebounds to Efes's 31, and 21 of them came off their own missed shots, giving them second chances to score (EuroLeague box score). Efes lost the ball 17 times without getting a shot away, against 13 such turnovers for Olympiacos (EuroLeague box score). That was despite a poor night from long range for the winners, who made only eight of their 29 three-point attempts (EuroLeague box score; Greek City Times).

The Efes coach, Pablo Laso, pointed to the same two figures. "If you commit 17 turnovers and allow the opponent 21 offensive rebounds, you give them far too many extra possessions," he said. "That was the biggest difference in tonight's game." He also said it was Efes's first game without "one of our most important players, who is out with a long-term injury" (Anadolu Efes). Greek City Times reported that Efes had recently lost Mike James to a serious injury (Greek City Times).

Efes have now won once in four games. They lost at Barcelona, beat Real Madrid at home and lost at Crvena Zvezda before Friday (EuroLeague results).

Olympiacos play at Valencia, one of the two unbeaten teams, on Tuesday, 13 October, at 21:00 CEST, which is 3 p.m. ET (EuroLeague schedule). Efes host Bayern Munich in Istanbul on Wednesday, 14 October, at 19:30 CEST, which is 1:30 p.m. ET (EuroLeague schedule).