Panionios beats AEK to maintain Basket League survival hopes
Panionios upset Greek Cup winner AEK on Sunday to take a leap toward safety in the Basket League and allow Lavrio to stay alone in third.
For cash-strapped Panionios, survival in the top flight this year was always going a difficult proposition, but its recent run has given it some genuine hope of staying up. It has overtaken Trikala, and with its unlikely 71-69 home win over AEK is it now one point from the teams that will escape relegation.
New arrival Tyrone Brazelton scored 24 points for Panionios.
Gymnastikos/Faros Larissas produced the other big win of the weekend, downing Artis 81-76, in a game where Aris coach Panayiotis Giannakis was sent to the stands for dissent.
For leader Panathinaikos it was business as usual in the game played last Tuesday, downing visiting Kymi 87-64 for its 19th win in as many games.
Olympiakos was slightly more challenged by Kolossos Rhodes in Piraeus, winning 83-72 on Sunday. Notably Olympiakos’s Nikola Milutinov (10 points, nine rebounds) did not miss a single shot for the second league match in a row.
Lavrio is now one point above AEK and Promitheas through its 80-69 home victory over Korivos Amaliadas, while Promitheas came from behind to see off bottom team Trikala 88-71 in Patra.
Rethymno troubled PAOK in Thessaloniki, but eventually the hosts won 80-72 to climb to sixth at the table.
