Olympiacos- A.E.K. 79-71
Olympiacos played good basketball at times, adjusted his defense on Loukas Mavrokefalides and managed to get the win at the big game of the weekend. The “Reds” had a quick 9-0 run after the jump ball and since then they established their own pace. AEK had 6 turnovers after 10′ but coach Sakota used a shorter and quicker line-up in order to confuse their opponents and reach within 2 points, 24-22. The home team had 0/7 behind the arc but Printezis and some free-throws they added, helped them to reach halftime leading 41-32.
After the break, AEK could not find score from set plays and was forced to look for personal attempts to stay close but it was not possible since Olympiacos opened up the pace, to reach the margin to 19, 59-40. AEK scored a three pointed and the 3rd quarter was concluded with the Greek Champions having the upper hand. The visitors did not give up and Mavrokefalides tried to bring them back in the game but Olympiacos’ experience and quality allowed them to stay safely in front. MVP was Mantzaris who had 0/7 three pointers but he was the top scorer with 17 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists and only one turnover, being crucial with his high level of playmaking.
A.G.O.Rethimno- Kavala B.C. 84-74
Tyler Stone dominated both paints with his 23 points and 11 rebounds, to boost his team to the win at home. The first period was tight but by halftime the home side got a good margin that maintained all the way to the buzzer.
Apollon Patras- P.A.O.K. 69-68
PAOK was clearly fatigued after his mid-week game for Eurocup and he could not find a good pace that would put him on the driver’s seat. As a result Apollon stayed close in this back-n-forth match-up and finally stole the win at the end. MVP was Devon Saddler with 23 points and 6 rebounds. On the other side, Big Sofo was solid with 15 points doing his best.
Arkadikos- Lavrio B.C. 98-90
This game had a frenetic pace from start to finish and was definitely the most impressive of the week, with both teams strongly focusing on offense. Arkadikos scored 24 points after the jump ball but they kept on firing throughout the game, having Van Ostruum in a great night with 24 points and 4/7 made shots behind the arc. However, the one who really shined was Kavvadas who scored 20 points with 8/8 FG attempts, setting a new League record for the season. He also collected 9 rebounds, which is a personal high. On the other side, Young had 26 for Lavrio which tried to bounce back during the closing period but they could not cover the already significant gap.
Kolossos Rhodes- Koroivos Amaliadas 94-73
Kolossos was far superior, faced a soft defense Koroivos played and got an easy win in front of their home crowd. Key point of the match was the second period when the partial score was 30-15, and since then the game was clearly controlled by the Rhodians. Releford scored 17 points for the home side.
Aris- A.E.N.Kifissias 81-68
Two pretty solid sides clashed in Nick Gallis Hall but Aris emerged winners in a game which was close for the biggest part, but the home team was more focused at the end, and on the other side AENK was anxious, made bad offensive choices and wasted a good chance to make an upset. White had 19 points for the “Emperor”.
Panathinaikos- Trikala B.C. 77-64
After a big win against Barcelona for the Euroleague, Panathinaikos faced Trikala at home. The visitors were very nervous right from the start and that resulted in an easy evening for the “Greens”. They played some solid defense but the one who determined the win was Nick Calathes who was really outstanding. He scored 15 points, delivered 8 assists and he also grabbed 9 rebounds;