Olympiakos one step from winning the title

Olympiakos is one win away from returning to Greek basketball’s throne, after beating Panathinaikos 76-69 away on Wednesday to lead the best-of-five series 2-0. It now has the chance to clinch the Basket League title with a home win on Sunday.

Depleted Panathinaikos played catch-up for most of the game as it led 26-24 for the last time in the game. Olympiakos played a consistent game in attack and had plenty of energy in defense to fend off fightback after fightback by the hosts at the Olympic Sports Hall.

The visitors advanced by up to eight points (24-16) in the first half, that ended 38-33 in their favor, and extended their advantage to up to nine points (65-56) although Panathinaikos, led by its only center it was left with, Loukas Mavrokefalidis, cut the arrears to just two points before surrendering to its eternal rival.

Mavrokefalidis was the top scorer with 28 points, while Giorgos Printezis notched up 17 for Olympiakos.

This was also a rare game between Panathinaikos and Olympiakos that neither of their captains, Dimitris Diamantidis (four points on the night) and Vassilis Spanoulis (11 points) respectively, got to score any two-pointers.

Notably the home crowd did not react angrily to defeat but instead applauded the Panathinaikos players for their effort at the end, in an unusual picture for the Greek finals.

In the battle for the third spot Aris leveled the series 1-1 with a 92-88 home win on Tuesday behind closed doors.