Euro League
Foul, one… Fasoula’s pass and the packed Olympiacos are ready for a full counterattack
After years, Olympiacos Piraeus finds the “10 good” again. What does Falsoulas do, the decisive McKissick, the return of the scorers and three very decisive games to reach the B round in the Euroleague. Written by Yannis Fileris.
Olympiacos were almost desperate to win in Lyon, as Giorgos Bartzokas admitted after the game. He took it, breathed, reached a record 50% and will have a Merry Christmas. This time he wasn’t satisfied with his very good defense, which works flawlessly in almost all games anyway. He attacked powerfully, scored 85 points and finished the game with 66.7% 2-point shooting and 42.3% 3-point shooting. In some parts of the game he was fun, in others he couldn’t avoid mistakes, but overall he was much better and easily achieved the double in the end.
Isaiah Cannon ensured crucial points were scored as Villeurbanne threatened with their stubborn comebacks, Alec Peters was the standard bearer at the start and end of the game, William Goss did a good job scoring and creating, Shaquille McKissick was the man of the game game in the first half, but what stood out among them was the tremendous form of Mustafa Fal.
The…unsmiling, but so big, looked like an icebreaker. Although he only scored one basket with the seven assists he provided, he was responsible for another 17 points for his team. This time, however, he wasn’t content with just handing out finished points to his teammates. His long arms and his timing on opponents’ attempts worked perfectly.
The unapproachable… fake
Not one, not two, but eight cuts (!) from “Moose” theoretically prevented 16 points at the expense of his team. They were much more, because he changed three or four more shots, stole balls and became an absolute scarecrow for the French. The eight blocks are the second-best record in EuroLeague history and the most by an Olympiacos player in the competition. Dino Raja had five interceptions in a game against Verona since 2000.
But if we want to save and make good comparisons, we will remember another great who also wore the number 10 and whose long arms frightened opponents. He also started at Fasoulas. Not Fal. Or maybe…fake? A historic block from “Pani” in the third play-off game against Bologna had sent Olympiacos into the quarter-finals in Tel Aviv.
The leading Greek center of all time left his mark at Olympiakos in the 90s. It is no exaggeration to say that Fal’s influence on the current Red-White team is even greater. When Eleftherios Venizelos arrived in the summer of 2021, most agreed he would add volume and height to the bat and play some quality minutes.
Nobody could have imagined his enormous development and how well he fit into the basketball that Olympiacos has been playing for three years under the guidance of Giorgos Bartzokas. It’s no lie that Olympiakos’ Fal is a completely different player than his Villeurbanne or French national team counterpart.
What he does in the “red and white” number 10 jersey can only be compared to the achievements of Fasoula, who, as the icing on the cake, lacks his unique ability to pass. Fal is a 216 cm tall playmaker with an enormous sense of space. Every time his teammate is free, he knows how to move to get free, how to throw the pass for an easy basket or a three-point shot.
He was so crucial in Lyon’s brand new arena that Fal stayed on the floor for almost 34 minutes (33:58 to be exact). Milutinov was quickly charged with two fouls, Sikma played late in the second period and Fal sat breathless the entire second half. Not only did he not get tired, but he persisted until the end, playing the same tough defense and chasing one block after another…
The return of the scorers…
But we said. This time Olympiacos were not satisfied with their good defensive performances. The return of his two goalscorers to full performance gave him the breathing space he was looking for in attack. Kanan scored 19 points in 30 minutes and hit crucial shots, especially as Villeurbanne closed in, while Alec Peters added 17 points in an excellent performance, avenging his not-so-good night in Bologna.
Of course, the performance of the team’s two top scorers in every game is crucial for Olympiakos. And yes, the opponents have sensed it, they know where to focus their defense, but it’s not just… their thing. Firstly because Olympiacos can create systems for the execution of the two sharp shooters and secondly because the squad is fuller this time around
… and Shaquille McKissick
As his coach pointed out, Olympiacos Piraeus now has more solutions. Shaquille McKissick’s effort in the second period proved to be a catalyst. The dashing American will be sorely missed. The man who gives energy and intensity and can attack vertically better than any other “Red-White” had the best quarter of the year. He scored 13p, had 2/2d, 2/4tr and 3/3b in this period, while also playing the well-known very dynamic defense on the ball and breaking down both Villeurbanne’s attack and defense.
McKissick, like Fal, has been a valuable link in the successes of the last three years and Olympiacos desperately needs him in the future because he is unique in changing the balance and thwarting every defensive plan of the opponents.
But it’s not just him. Nigel Williams Goss has been added to Barzoka’s arsenal. Walkup can and should renew his air, my goodness will give him time as was the original plan. NWG still not ready, hesitates in execution, sometimes makes wrong decisions, but finished the game with 11p, 7 assists, 4/8 assists and only 1 error. Coming soon, the best…
The top of the thread
Olympiacos is looking for the end of this season’s thread and as long as it keeps winning, it will find it eventually. The next games are very crucial. The one in Berlin with Alba, a team with almost the same record but slightly better than Villerban, and the two that follow at the start of the new year (and the second round) in the SEF with Monaco and Milan.
Don’t forget that the “Red-Whites” are also adding new names to their squad, among other things. Petrusev is taking his time and playing in the “4” like a… Peters from last year, while Naz Mitrou Long is coming soon to take a spot for the Greek League.
With the expatriate guard in the 12th league, Sikma may also play in the Euroleague in addition to the Greek league. But the fact is that Olympiacos, full of players and solutions, guarantees a better second round. For now, however, he wants to have a Happy New Year after a Merry Christmas and beat Alba in Berlin two days before being eliminated from 2023…
Source: sport 24
I am a writer at Sportish, where I mainly cover sports news. I’ve also written for The Guardian and ESPN Brasil, and my work has been featured on NBC Sports, SI.com and more. Before working in journalism, I was an athlete: I played football for Colgate University and competed in the US Open Cross Country Championships.
Mustafa Fal has delivered a monstrous performance in international matches and Vassilis Skoundis is tackling the problem, inevitably involving the first teacher of the art, Panagiotis Fassoulas.
“The gypsy saw his generation and his heart rejoiced,” says a proverb whose meaning fits the occasion… I mean, the occasion of Fal seeing the other Fal opposite him and enjoying him normally and in accordance with the law!
Let the necessary recommendations be made…
One of them is Mustafa Fal, who was born in Paris on February 23, 1992, he is French, he plays in his country’s national team, his hat comes from Senegal, he has been looking since he was 2.18. He is in his third season at Olympiacos…
Yusufa and Taco
The other person who competed against him yesterday is Youssoufa Fal, who was born in Dakar on January 12, 1995, is a Senegalese with French nationality, has a height of 2.21 m and is competing in Villerban for the third consecutive time…
There is of course the much wilder Taco Fal, who was also born in Dakar on December 10, 1995, spent three seasons in the NBA, is now sizzling in China and has had his head tickling the feet of God since he was 229 cm tall!
Mustafa, Yusufa and Tako have no relationship or kinship between them: they are synonymous, apart from the coincidence that ensures that they are all three kilometers long!
The triple-double figure in Pylaia
He had attacked the Olympiacos central defender again on the 11th of last month, on the occasion of the triple-double he scored in the game against PAOK in Pylaia, rare in our area, but he wanted to make us laugh for a while as his only goal!
At first he missed Yannis Fileris who treated him properly, but I also have some stitches for his fur!
To say my sin, I laughed and liked Fileris’ pun on… Wrong!
Fasoulas and… Lumidis
In any case, “Pani” was like…Lumidis in the field of coffee roasting, plus he made heads turn with soft nails with his unique and unparalleled skills.
To paraphrase Lumidis’ advertising slogan: in our case it was “Everyone in their own way and Fasoulas in their caps“!
Since the conversation broke out, the experienced PAOK and Olympiacos international center has recorded five triple-doubles with points, rebounds and blocks, which are of course rarer than those that include assists.
He scored the first of these goals on October 15, 1988 (PAOK-Panionios) with 18 points, 18 rebounds and 13 blocks.
Two weeks later he “wrote” the second with 20-18-11 against Apollon Patras, on November 19 he followed the third against Sporting (29-19-15), while in the 1990/91 season he added two more: 18 – 14-10 with Peristeri and 19-12-11 with Iraklis.
Vrankovic’s record and the “wow” with Green
Similar triple feats with plugs have also been achieved by Stojan Vrankovic (who is already the record holder in EuroLeague history with 10 in a Fortitudo Bologna-Cibona Zagreb game) with Panathinaikos, Anthony Cook with PAOK, Mike Smrek with Dafni, PJ Brown with Panionios, Efthymis Renzias with the National Youth Team and Antonis Fotsis with the Greens youth team.
On Friday night in Lyon, Fall broke the bank when he nearly followed in Draymond Green’s footsteps and posted a rare triple-double without scoring in double figures.
He reached the final horn with two points, seven rebounds, seven assists and eight blocks, while the Warriors’ cocky forward did so on February 10, 2017 against the Grizzlies with 11 rebounds, 10 assists, 10 steals and just two points.
From 0.8 to 8
Fal had grabbed 14 rebounds in the game against Red Star while he dished out seven assists in the game against Baskonia, so there is no news here…
The wave was caused by the eight caps, because on the one hand there are a lot of them and on the other hand the so-called do not have a big problem with davtes.
Before the game with Villerban, he had taken 12 shots in 14 games, and suddenly he flashed and thundered from a 0.8 average to eight!
What is the key quality a good blocker should have?
The cap for Moretti, the timing and the caps
Instead of answering, I’ll give the floor to a specialist and expert, none other than Panagiotis Fasoulas, who, among other things, scored the most decisive international match in the history of Olympiacos!
I am referring to the match against Paolo Moretti in the third game of the European Champions Cup playoff series in the 10993/94 season, thanks to which Piraeus qualified for the Final 4 in Tel Aviv.
“Everything is a question of timing“he explained to me when I asked him how he cultivated and developed his art.
“You need to know and understand where, when and how to jump to block the opponent’s shot. In addition to this sense of space and time, speed of movement and long arms also play a role. I did the caps and even covered the ball so we could go straight to attack” explains Fasoulas, who is already drawing the moral lesson of the story…
“Attack requires talent, but defense depends on will.”
The spider web
Last but not least, this desire flowed from the… gums of Fasoula, who went out and trapped his opponents in the spider’s web from which no one could escape.
From his appearance in the early 80s until his retirement in 1999, he reduced defense not only to a science, but to a spectacular spectacle!
Source: sport 24
I am a writer at Sportish, where I mainly cover sports news. I’ve also written for The Guardian and ESPN Brasil, and my work has been featured on NBC Sports, SI.com and more. Before working in journalism, I was an athlete: I played football for Colgate University and competed in the US Open Cross Country Championships.
Matias Lessor received hundreds of interesting messages from friends of Panathinaikos AKTOR about his injury and quickly explained what the situation is.
Matias Lessor’s injury was the only black mark in the game against Armani Milano. For this very reason, the people of Panathinaikos AKTOR didn’t enjoy it as much as they would have liked. At least until they received the results of the sports high school exams.
The day after the game, it became clear that the problem was not serious. However, Matias Lessor explained in detail how he feels after his injury and thanked everyone for their interest.
Matias Lesor’s message in detail:
“Thank you everyone for your lovely messages and your interest. I’m feeling much better. It just hurts, but I’m fine“.
Source: sport 24
I am a writer at Sportish, where I mainly cover sports news. I’ve also written for The Guardian and ESPN Brasil, and my work has been featured on NBC Sports, SI.com and more. Before working in journalism, I was an athlete: I played football for Colgate University and competed in the US Open Cross Country Championships.
End of alert for Matias Lesor at Panathinaikos AKTOR. The French center has a bad back due to the injury and will miss tomorrow’s (December 24th) game against Prometheus in Patras (20:15, ERT3 and LIVE on Sportish), but his tests were clear.
Matias Lesor will play in tomorrow’s (December 24th) away game of Panathinaikos AKTOR against Prometheus (8:15 p.m., 3 a.m. and LIVE from Sportish) on matchday 11 of the Stoiximan Basket League due to the lower back injury he sustained in this game , do not compete Armani Milano. But he escaped the worst.
The French center was tested immediately after the return of the “Greens” from Milan, who were “clean”. In other words, they didn’t show that the bone was broken in the middle – which everyone feared when they saw the Frenchman slaughtered on the ground. But Lesor is still in pain, ruling him out of the game against Prometheus and considered doubtful for next week’s EuroLeague game against Red Star.
With Lesor out, Oleg Balcherovski, Kostas Antetokounmpo and Dinos Mitoglou will fill the center position in the game against Prometheus.
Source: sport 24
I am a writer at Sportish, where I mainly cover sports news. I’ve also written for The Guardian and ESPN Brasil, and my work has been featured on NBC Sports, SI.com and more. Before working in journalism, I was an athlete: I played football for Colgate University and competed in the US Open Cross Country Championships.
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