AEK beats Lavrio to advance to third in Basket League

AEK jumped to the third spot of the Basket League on Saturday with its victory over Lavrio, while Aris took a leap to safety.

Four days before its first-leg Champions League quarterfinal game against Strasbourg, AEK defeated Lavrio 96-86, to rise to joint third along with its opponent. It also covered the eight-point deficit from the game between the two teams at Lavrio earlier this season, securing a superior head-to-head record.

Aris welcomed Vangelis Angelou on its bench with a 68-64 victory over Promitheas Patron on Saturday, going two points clear of relegation-threatened Panionios. The Nea Smyrni team lost 95-83 at Kymi on Sunday.

Champion Panathinaikos stretched its perfect record to 20 games beating bottom team Trikala 96-66 away on Sunday, while Olympiakos visits Korivos Amaliadas on Monday.

PAOK joined Promitheas at the fifth spot after it downed Kolossos 79-76 on Rhodes on Saturday, and Rethymno fended off the resistance of Gymnastikos/Faros Larissas with a 91-84 score.