Olympiacos Piraeus qualified for the 2024 EuroLeague Final Four after downing FC Barcelona with a score of 59-63 in Game 5.
Olympiacos Piraeus has secured its third consecutive Final Four appearance with a dramatic, defensive-minded 59-63 road victory over FC Barcelona. The team will now head to Berlin to face Real Madrid in the semifinals, setting up a rematch of last year's championship game.
It was a historic night for the Reds, marking the first time in EuroLeague Playoffs history that home teams had a perfect 19-0 record in Game 5s. However, Olympiacos defied the odds, becoming the second road team on Wednesday night alone to clinch a best-of-five series, following Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul's victory in Monaco.
Throughout the game, Olympiacos trailed for most of the night, only taking their first lead, 47-49, on a Shaquielle McKissic triple with exactly 5 minutes remaining. Shortly after, the Reds embarked on a crucial 0-8 run in just 42 seconds, extending their lead to 49-57, which they maintained until the final buzzer, securing their place in the Final Four.
McKissic contributed 9 of his 12 points in the fourth quarter, while Kostas Papanikolaou scored 5 of his 11 points in the final 3 minutes. Nikola Milutinov delivered a standout performance with 10 points and 10 rebounds, contributing significantly to the historic victory. For Barcelona, Nicolas Laprovittola led the scoring with 17 points, accompanied by 7 rebounds and 4 assists from Alex Abrines, while Ricky Rubio added 6 points, 4 assists, and 5 steals in a losing effort.
The 2024 Final Four is scheduled to take place at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin, Germany, from May 24 to May 26.
The semifinals are set to be played on Friday, with tipoff times at 18:00 and 21:00 local time. On Sunday, the action continues with the Third-Place Game at 17:00 local time, followed by the Championship Game three hours later.