AEK survive Panionios scare in Palaio Faliro

AEK survived a scare to defeat Panionios in overtime on matchday 19 of the 2019/2020 Basket League regular season, but both Aris and PAOK conceded painful defeats as their relegation fears continue to intensify.

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PANIONIOS 96-101 AEK

AEK were teetering on the brink of a shock defeat at the Sofia Befon Indoor Hall. Nevertheless, after surviving a late scare in the fourth quarter, the visitors eventually earned a thrilling 101-96 overtime victory against struggling Panionios in Palaio Faliro. The Greek Cup winners now boast 14 consecutive wins in the Basket League.

The Enosi, fresh from defeating Rethymno in dramatic circumstances on Wednesday, struggled defensively throughout. Although their movement was notably poor at times, Panionios managed to keep within touching distance of their off-colour opponents, and Devin Sweetney’s superb buzzer-beater at the end of the opening period was the highlight of the first half.

AEK held an 11-point lead during the fourth quarter as they appeared to be coasting to victory. However, all of a sudden, the away side handed Panionios the initiative with sloppy play, and the Panthers drew level with three minutes remaining. In the final second of play, Tyreek Duren had a golden opportunity to earn a famous win for Panionios, but his two-pointer agonisingly missed the mark.

The visitors subsequently edged overtime by a score of 17-12 to emerge victorious.

AEK, holding a 15-4 record, occupy second place of the Basket League table behind Panathinaikos. Panionios, however, are third from bottom as they battle against relegation.

Keith Langford, returning to the team from the treatment table, registered 23 points, four rebounds and three assists for AEK. Sweetney and Rickey McGill both scored 19 points for Panionios.

Next week, AEK will host Iraklis in Athens, while Panionios travel to Lavrio.

PANATHINAIKOS 121-78 LARISA

Panathinaikos put their EuroLeague struggles behind them to thrash Larisa 121-78 in a powerful show of strength at the OAKA Indoor Hall.

In the EuroLeague, the reigning Greek champions have conceded two defeats on the bounce as they continue to fight for a playoff berth, however they played with confidence and flair against lowly Larisa. Easily finding ways to the basket, Panathinaikos scored at least 30 points in three of the four quarters, statistically outperforming Larisa in every component of the game.

Deshaun Thomas and Konstantinos Mitoglou were the leading scorers for Panathinaikos with 19 points each. Billy Garrett also scored 19 for Larisa.

Panathinaikos, in first place, will play against Ionikos Nikaia on the road next week. 11th-placed Larisa will take on Kolossos Rodou at home.

PERISTERI 78-64 PROMITHEAS

In a potentially decisive battle for third place, Peristeri had too much power for Promitheas at home, claiming a confident 78-64 victory which keeps them above their opponents in the top three of the Basket League. 

The third quarter was vital as Peristeri won it 29-17 to practically end the match as a contest.

Yanick Moreira caught the eye with an excellent double-double (20 points, 10 rebounds) for Peristeri, while Christos Saloustros (13 points, five rebounds, one assist) and Will Hatcher (13 points, five assists, two rebounds) were also solid for the home team. 

In their next league match, Peristeri will play against PAOK in Thessaloniki, while Promitheas host Rethymno.

IFAISTOS LIMNOU 77-69 PAOK

The misery continues for PAOK. In severe danger of relegation, the Dikefalos tou Vorra suffered another damaging defeat on Saturday, as Ifaistos Limnou tallied a 77-69 victory at home.

At the moment, PAOK are rooted to the foot of the Basket League table with five wins from 19 games, whereas Ifaistos Limnou are flying high in fifth with an 11-8 record.

Ifaistos Limnou won the fourth quarter 22-13 to grab the victory. Sean Evans achieved a double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds for Ifaistos Limnou, while Shanon Shorter registered 20 points for PAOK.

In their next league match, Ifaistos Limnou will do battle against Aris away from home. PAOK will face Peristeri in Macedonia.

KOLOSSOS RODOU 90-86 ARIS

Another Thessaloniki representative, Aris, aren’t in a better situation. On Saturday, they came unstuck on the island of Rhodes, conceded a hugely important four-point loss to Kolossos. Both teams are fighting against relegation.

This victory helps Kolossos, now holding an 8-11 record, pull away from the drop zone. Aris, however, are in joint last place with PAOK with five wins and 14 defeats in 19 games.

Kolossos produced a stunning fourth quarter to haul themselves past Aris, scoring 38 points during the last 10 minutes to overturn a nine-point deficit. Jermaine Love, in wonderful form, inspired the Kolossos comeback with 23 points, seven assists and one rebound in the match. Former AEK player Malcom Griffin registered 18 points, seven assists and three rebounds for Kolossos.

Lefteris Bochoridis gained a double-double for Aris with 24 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds.

In their next Basket League match, Kolossos will play against Larisa on the road, while Aris take on Ifaistos Limnou in Thessaloniki.

IRAKLIS 107-75 IONIKOS NIKAIA

On Sunday afternoon, Ionikos Nikaia came horribly unstuck in Thessaloniki, as Iraklis romped to a heavy 107-75 triumph.

Ionikos have now conceded six defeats in seven matches as they continue to slide down the table. The Nikaia-based organisation sit in 10th position.

Iraklis, however, are motoring. In promising form, Iraklis have won three matches in a row, and they are in seventh place with nine victories and 10 defeats in 19 games.

The home club won the first period 30-8 to put the match to bed straight away.

Vassilis Kavvadas (14 points, 11 rebounds), Jamal Shuler (15 points, 12 assists) and Alex Davis (18 points, 11 rebounds) all achieved double-doubles for Iraklis.

In their next match, Iraklis will face AEK in Athens, while Ionikos Nikaia will be desperate to cause a major upset when playing against Panathinaikos at home.

By: Shaun Nicolaides

Image Source: sport-fm.gr

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