Peristeri concede surprise home defeat; Panathinaikos thrash Panionios
Peristeri conceded a surprise home defeat to Ifaistos Limnou on matchday 13 of the Basket League regular season, while Iraklis beat PAOK, Panathinaikos showed no mercy to Panionios and AEK, Promitheas, Larisa and Rethymno also tallied victories.
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PERISTERI 75-79 IFAISTOS LIMNOU
Ifaistos Limnou, on the back of two successive wins, increased that streak to three with an impressive victory in Peristeri.
In a hotly contested battle, the teams won two periods each, with the third quarter proving to be crucial as the visitors won it by seven points.
This is Peristeri’s second consecutive loss in the Basket League after their defeat against Kolossos Rodou last week.
Michalis Tsairelis and Mario Little took a leading role for Ifaistos Limnou, tallying 17 points each. Both clubs boast eight victories in 13 league matches in the current campaign.
AEK 103-70 IONIKOS NIKAIA
AEK are in solid form. Undefeated in all competitions since November, the Enosis produced another confident showing at the weekend, breezing past inconsistent Ionikos Nikaia at the OAKA Indoor Hall.
The Kitrinomavri did not lose any of the four quarters, scoring a minimum of 24 points in each period. This is the first time in the 2019/2020 Basket League campaign when AEK registered more than 100 points.
Keith Langford was the top scorer for AEK with 15 points. Kendrick Ray (14), Charalampous Giannopoulos (13), Dimitris Mavroidis (12), Nikos Gikas (12) and Linos Chrysikopoulos (12) also reached double figures in terms of points.
PROMITHEAS 95-79 ARIS
Following their important win against Lavrio last week, struggling Aris couldn’t gain momentum at Promitheas, conceding a heavy 95-79 loss.
Promitheas, on the other hand, have not suffered a defeat in the Basket League since late November. The Patras outfit sit in second position of the standings with 10 wins from 13 matches.
Ukrainian guard Oleksandr Lypovyy tallied 18 points, six rebounds and five assists for the victors.
IRAKLIS 99-82 PAOK
In their Thessaloniki derby, Iraklis proved far too strong for PAOK at home, coasting to an emphatic 99-82 victory against the Dikefalos tou Vorra.
During the first quarter, PAOK did keep the game close, but Iraklis rapidly pulled away as the game continued. The match ended as a contest in the third quarter as Iraklis won it 23-14 after taking the second stanza 25-17.
Iraklis got back on track after two losses in a row. PAOK, however, have not won a league game since November 23 as their miserable campaign continues.
Vassilis Kavvadas achieved a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds, while Jamal Shuler scored 26 points.
LAVRIO 78-98 LARISA
Hosting Larisa, Lavrio were expected to emerge victorious, but they contrived to concede their fifth loss in six Basket League games as the visitors snapped their losing run with a thumping 20-point triumph.
This is only Larisa’s fourth victory of the league season.
Brandon Rush was dominant on the court as he scored 30 points for the winning side. Antony Hickey also impressed with 21 points, four rebounds and four assists.
RETHYMNO CRETAN KINGS 72-61 KOLOSSOS RODOU
Interestingly, Rethymno have consistently been trading wins and losses in the Basket League, so it was no surprise to see the Cretans defeat Kolossos Rodou 72-61 at home after losing to Panathinaikos in Athens on matchday 12.
Kolossos have now dropped four defeats in their previous five matches. Rethymno took the initiative in the concluding two quarters, winning them 21-15 and 15-10 respectively after the first half ended level.
Conner Frankamp, a prolific scorer for Rethymno, scored 23 points while also dishing out seven assists and picking up two rebounds.
PANIONIOS 74-115 PANATHINAIKOS
Midweek, Panathinaikos were dealt a damaging defeat in the EuroLeague by Real Madrid, but Rick Pitino’s men subsequently regrouped to completely thrash Panionios 115-74 in Palaio Faliro.
Scoring for run, the Prasini ran riot against their Nea Smyrni-based opponents, tallying 61 points in the first half alone. Possessing five wins in 13 games, Panionios occupy 11th place of the Basket League table, while Panathinaikos lead the way with 12 victories and one defeat.
Konstantinos Mitoglou was the star man for Panathinaikos, gaining a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Nick Calathes scored 10 points - including two three-pointers - and made nine assists.
