Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv surrenders a tough blow with an 87:89 loss to Olympiacos in Menora Mivtachim Arena after a thrilling contest, which was concluded only in overtime. Although Scottie Wilbekin knocked in 25 points, the Yellow & Blue drop their record to 8:11 following a game in which they led by most of the minutes. Giannis Sfairopoulos's squad doesn't have much time to sorrow as Baskonia comes into Tel Aviv on Thursday.

Scottie Wilbekin, Elijah Bryant, Yovel Zoosman, Omri Casspi, and Ante Zizic opened for Giannis Sfairopoulos's squad. While Kostas Sloukas, Charles Jenkins, Vasilis Charalampopoulos, Georgios Printezis, and Octavius Ellis started for Olympiacos.



Both teams struggled to find the basket in the first minutes of the contest, but Bryant got it going scoring four points while dishing an assist to Zizic inside, who converted a three-point possession after being fouled on the play 8:2. 

Georgios Printezis knocked down nine consecutive points for the visitors as Wilbekin responded on the other end with seven points, including a tough midrange jumper over Jenkins, 16:11. Charalampopoulos and Dorsey exchanged buckets to close out the first quarter, 18:13.

From the top of the key, Chris Jones dished a beautiful assist to Bryant, who easily laid it in, and Zizic found Angelo Caloiaro in a comparable pass opening an 8 point edge. Shaquielle Mckissic kept the visitors in the thick of things, shooting in four free throws as part of his stretch of 8 straight points for the visitors, but Bryant and Jones countered, drilling three's from behind the arc, 30:22.



Sloukas started getting the Greeks offense going, dishing three assists to the big men inside and adding his first five points while Zizic scored inside and set a strong screen, which led to an open Wilbekin triple, 37:31. Caloiaro found Tyler Dorsey alone from deep, who swished it in as Ellis tipped in a miss for two for the final points of the half, 40:33. 

The Reds tied the game three minutes into the third period as Sloukas led his squad to a 7:0 run with 3 points and two assists, 40:40. Zizic scored back to back buckets in the paint, and Hunter tallied his first basket against his ex-club as part of an 8:2 stretch, 48:42.

The momentum shifted to Olympiacos as Mckissic and Sloukas each converted from the charity strike as the Greek guard added a three-pointer, giving the visitors their first lead of the night. A Jones steal led to a Dorsey fastbreak score, and later Jones added two inside as Hunter drew a foul with one second left, hitting one of two from the line, 55:52. 



Sloukas (17 points, 8 assists) put the visitors on his back at the start of the final 10 minutes, forcing an 8:2 run, 57:60. Wilbekin from the charity strike and Jones from midrange restored the Yellow & Blue edge, but Livio Jean Charles and a Sasha Vezenkov three-pointer reclaimed the advantage, 61:65.

Zizic tipped in a Wilbekin miss from the free-throw line, as the American guard added five consecutive points, including a lead changing three-pointer. Hunter completed a 7:0 stretch with two more from the strike opening a 4 point advantage with 59 seconds left on the game clock. Hassan Martin and Vezenkov tied the game at 71, leaving Maccabi with the last ball. 

Surprisingly, the Reds decided to foul Dorsey, who connected in the first free throw, missed the second shot but Hunter and Caloiaro tipped the ball to Wilbekin, who also converted only one of two from the line, 73:71. With 12 seconds, Sloukas took the Greeks' final decision and drew a foul from Hunter, knocked in two from the line, and took the game to overtime, 73:73.



The overtime was also tight, Caloiaro drove to the bucket and laid in an off-balance one-handed shot, but Maccabi lost concentration as Printezis and Vazenkov hit shots from deep, 81:86, less than a minute to go. Hunter converted two from the line and later led to a Vezenkov miss with a good defensive position, as Bryant dished a long pass to the center, who slammed it down, 85:86.

The Yellow & Blue fouled Larentzakis, who scored twice from the line with 11 seconds left. Wilbekin pushed the ball up the court and was fouled at midcourt, went three times to the line but missed his third attempt. After Larentzakis second free throw went out, Maccabi had one final chance, but Bryant half court buzzer-beating shot hit the rim and bounced out. Olympiacos beat Maccabi 87:89.