Olympiakos Piraeus left the Virtus Arena on Friday night with a result that few teams have achieved this season, holding on for a 97-94 EuroLeague victory over Virtus Bologna.
The Reds controlled the match for three quarters before a thrilling finish, becoming only the second visiting side to beat Virtus on home ground this season.
Olympiacos improved to 10-7 in the standings with its second straight win, while the Italian club fell to 8-10 after only their second home defeat of the season.
The visitors built an impressive cushion with rebounding dominance and shot-making efficiency, taking a 77-60 lead into the fourth quarter despite committing twice as many turnovers at the time.
Olympiakos finished with a 40-19 advantage on the glass, including a decisive 14-6 advantage in offensive rebounds, which repeatedly created extra possessions.
Through the first 30 minutes, the Greek squad converted 66.7 percent of its two-point attempts and 45.6 percent from beyond the arc, consistently creating open looks within the offense.
The standout development came from Evan Fournier, who had his best performance of the season with 21 points on 7-for-10 shooting from three-point range.
Fournier’s seven three-pointers marked a EuroLeague career high and matched his best scoring mark of the season for the second straight game.
Olympiacos appeared to be in full control late in the third quarter when a sequence involving Sasha Vezenkov, Fournier and Nikola Milutinov increased the lead to 77-57.
The momentum changed sharply in the fourth quarter, as Virtus defeated Olympiacos 34-20 and threatened to stage a remarkable comeback.
With Carsen Edwards sidelined with an ankle injury, the hosts leaned on the defensive trio of Matt Morgan, Luca Vildoza and veteran Daniel Hackett to apply constant pressure.
Milutinov stabilized the situation with a critical tip on his fifth offensive rebound, while Fournier scored his seventh three with 1:22 remaining to restore a five-point margin.
Tyler Dorsey sealed the outcome with a cool mid-range jumper in the final seconds.
Dorsey and Fournier each scored 21 points, Vezenkov added 16, Milutinov recorded 13 points, nine rebounds and five assists, and Alec Peters finished with 13.
Olympiacos now turns its attention to the Greek derby against Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens next Friday, while Virtus host EA7 Emporio Armani Milan on the same day.
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