57-62: Ibon Navarro’s Red Star strikes in Piraeus

coup of authority Red Star on one of the most complicated tracks on the continent. The team led by Ibon Navarro put on an authentic tactical and defensive display at the Sunel Arena to defeat Olympiacos by 57-62. A victory of enormous weight that allows the Belgrade team to catch Georgios’ team Bartzokas in the classification, consolidating within that select group of pursuers who closely stalk the leader of the competition, the Panathinaikos.

From the initial jump, the game plan designed by Ibon was clearly seen. Navarrese. Red Star Helena completely hamstrung ball circulation with a suffocating defense, supportive help and tight control of the rebound. The staging of the Spanish coach’s pupils was impeccable: 11-19 in the first quarter and a devastating 11-21 in the second act.

At half-time, the scoreboard showed a resounding 22-40. Olympiacos He was completely unhinged, unable to score fluidly and collapsed from the perimeter (they would finish the match with a very poor 5 of 36 in triples, 13.9%).

After passing through the locker room, Olympiacos appealed to pride with the help of a monumental Sasha Vezenkov. The Bulgarian power forward put together a titanic performance (27 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals and a PIR of 28), literally pulling his team to close the gap quarter by quarter (19-11 in the third). While Evan Fournier suffered a miserable night from 6.75 (2/12 in triples for 12 points), Vezenkov He tightened the score in the final stages.

However, at the moment of truth, the Red Star He didn’t lose his nerve. Jordan Nwora He was the visiting light with a huge double-double of 18 points, 13 rebounds and a PIR of 23, becoming master of the boards. Next to him, Carlik Jones (10 points) provided the necessary serenity in the hot minutes to freeze the local comeback attempt and Chris Jones scored the final triple at 42 seconds to seal the victory.

With this victory on the tenth day, the Red Star from Ibon Navarro shows that he is a strong candidate for everything this season. Raid the fiefdom of Olympiacos Leaving it at only 57 points confirms the competitive maturity that the Vitorian coach has given to his squad. Both teams are now paired in the second-placed group, sharing the mission of chasing Panathinaikos at the top of the table. Euroleague.