Olympiacos overcomes early deficit to beat Iraklis 78-68 in Greek league opener
Defending champions Olympiacos recovered from a ten-point first-quarter deficit to defeat Iraklis 78-68 at Ivanofeio Sports Arena in Thessaloniki on Sunday.
Slow opening in Thessaloniki
Olympiacos opened its Stoiximan GBL title defense on Sunday with a 78-68 victory against Iraklis at a packed Ivanofeio Sports Arena. Playing its sixth contest in nine days, Georgios Bartzokas's squad showed early fatigue as the hosts took control of the opening minutes. Iraklis forward Melvin opened aggressively, scoring seven points to establish an early 11-2 advantage at the 3:20 mark. Sasha Vezenkov connected on an early three-pointer to cut the margin to 13-8, but defensive lapses by the visitors allowed Iraklis to pull ahead. Jalen Lecque posted 11 points in the first quarter, guiding Iraklis to a 25-15 lead at the first break.
Second-quarter turnaround
The momentum shifted in the second quarter as Olympiacos intensified its defensive pressure through Kostas Papanikolaou and Evangelos Plotas. The visitors executed an 18-2 run over the first five minutes of the quarter, converting stops into 11 fast-break points. Codi Miller-McIntyre led the offensive resurgence, scoring 10 points during the run to put Olympiacos ahead 33-27 by the 15th minute. Sasha Vezenkov added seven consecutive points toward the end of the half to extend the lead to double digits at 42-32. Olympiacos concluded the quarter with a 31-11 scoring advantage, entering halftime leading 46-36.
- Iraklis builds a 25-15 lead behind 11 points from Jalen Lecque.
- Olympiacos outscores Iraklis 31-11 to establish a 46-36 halftime lead.
- An 8-0 Olympiacos response pushes the scoreline to 64-50.
- Evan Fournier hits a three-pointer for a 20-point margin before the game finishes 78-68.
Second-half control and response
Iraklis attempted to respond following the intermission, reducing the deficit to 50-44 at the 25th minute behind baskets from Silas and Melvin. Olympiacos coach Bartzokas called an immediate timeout, after which his team produced an 8-0 scoring burst featuring three-pointers from Tyler Dorsey and Ward alongside a dunk from Donta Hall. Iraklis suffered a setback when Lecque left the court due to cramps, and the third period concluded with Olympiacos ahead 64-50. In the final period, Nikola Milutinov scored inside and Plotas made a perimeter shot to push the score to 71-56 at the 34th minute. Evan Fournier added a three-pointer at the 36th minute to create a 20-point cushion at 76-56, before Iraklis reduced the final deficit to 10 points.
- Jalen Lecque (Iraklis)
- 19 points
- Diarra (Iraklis)
- 16 points
- Sasha Vezenkov (Olympiacos)
- 14 points
- Codi Miller-McIntyre (Olympiacos)
- 12 points
- Tyler Dorsey (Olympiacos)
- 11 points
- Melvin (Iraklis)
- 11 points
- Nikola Milutinov (Olympiacos)
- 10 points
Context and upcoming schedule
The result nullifies the two-point deduction Olympiacos received before the season due to disciplinary penalties from the fifth final of the previous championship. Miller-McIntyre finished with 12 points, nine rebounds, six assists, four turnovers, and one steal. Vezenkov was the top scorer for Olympiacos with 14 points, while Dorsey scored 11 and Milutinov added 10 points and five rebounds. For Iraklis, Lecque recorded 19 points despite shooting 1-of-8 from beyond the arc, supported by Diarra with 16 points and Melvin with 11 points and nine rebounds. Olympiacos next faces Anadolu Efes at SUNEL Arena on Friday, 9 October, in the EuroLeague, before hosting Kolossos behind closed doors in domestic play. Iraklis will travel to play Peristeri in the second round of league fixtures.
