Olympiacos forward Sasha Vezenkov conceded that his team didn’t deserve to win against Paris Basketball, following their dramatic 90-96 loss at home in the EuroLeague on Friday. The Greek side endured their first home defeat of the season at the Peace and Friendship Stadium, as Paris dominated for much of the game, leading by as many as 20 points (60-80) after 33 minutes of play.
Olympiacos mounted an improbable comeback, sparked by a remarkable 22-0 run that put them ahead 82-80 with just three minutes remaining. Six steals and eight forced turnovers in a matter of minutes gave the Reds a fighting chance. However, with the score tied at 86-86 and less than 30 seconds left, Vezenkov and teammate Alec Peters collided as they attempted to secure an offensive rebound. The mishap allowed Paris’ Maodo Lo to hit a critical 3-pointer in transition, giving the visitors a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
Speaking to NOVASPORTS after the game, Vezenkov reflected on the narrow defeat: “To be fair, we would have stolen the game, we didn’t deserve it. When a team has 10 consecutive wins, we cannot doubt it,” he said, acknowledging Paris’ impressive form.
The Bulgarian forward added that while Olympiacos players were proud of their response to Paris’ 20-point advantage, they were also “concerned” about their performance. “In the first 30 minutes, we did absolutely nothing of the things we wanted to do. We have to look at our mistakes and move on,” Vezenkov stated. He admitted that he couldn’t explain why Olympiacos only responded when the game seemed nearly lost. “A lot of things went wrong, I don’t know exactly what. We let them feel comfortable, then we went to steal the game,” he continued.
Vezenkov also commented on Paris’ strong run this season, acknowledging their status as the current EuroLeague leaders. When asked if Paris is playing the best basketball in the competition, he replied, “So far, they are playing the best basketball and they are in first place. The playoffs are a different story, a different game, you don’t know who you’re going to go up against. They are newcomers, and we don’t know what will happen in the future.”
Despite the defeat, Vezenkov’s insight into the team’s performance suggests that Olympiacos will learn from their mistakes and aim to bounce back stronger as the season progresses.
