Promitheas stuns AEK to reach Basket League finals
Promitheas has surprisingly eliminated AEK in the Basket League semifinal series with a win in Athens in the deciding game on Friday, to make its first ever finals where it will face favorite Panathinaikos.
After the withdrawal of Olympiakos from the league in protest against referees, which has led to the Reds’ relegation to the A2 division, the road opened for another club to contest the finals with Panathinaikos after many years. Although AEK was in prime position to earn this ticket to the Greek finals, it was actually Promitheas that snatched it.
The team from Patra, that just five years ago played in amateur divisions, responded in the best-of-five semifinal series each time AEK won at home with victories in Patra, to take the series down to the wire.
Game 5 took place at the Olympic Sports Hall on Friday, Promitheas capitalized on the obvious complacency of its host to lead for most of the match, before AEK canceled a five-point deficit to force overtime.
In the additional five minutes Promitheas made its supremacy count, winning Game 5 with an 85-84 score to record the best moment in its history to date.
Panathinaikos had a much easier task in the semifinals, sweeping Peristeri with three wins in as many games, two of them on the road.
The Greens will now host Game 1 of the best-of-five final series, on Monday.
