Green hoopsters sweep to another league triumph

Panathinaikos won on Thursday its 40th league crown, extending its own record, by beating Lavrio 3-1 in the final series.

The Greens sealed another championship triumph with an 82-66 road win over the season’s surprise package that finished second in the league for the first time in its history.

Panathinaikos won Games 1 and 3 at home (100-72 and 103-73 respectively), but went down 94-89 in overtime at Lavrio in Game 2. That was the second victory Lavrio managed this season over the champion.

Panathinaikos, that has completed yet another double, dedicated the league triumph to the memory of its former president, Pavlos Giannakopoulos, who died on the same day three years ago.

AEK finished third, as it upended the home advantage of Promitheas Patras in the best-of-five third-place series to win 3-1 and save some face for this season.

Promitheas had aimed at a spot in the final, and its coach Makis Yiatras announced its departure.