Olympiacos- Aris 76-64
Aris fought hard against Olympiacos but Spanoulis’ class made the big difference and concluded the year with a win for the “Reds”. The opening quarter was a back-n-forth fight with the two coaches making several subs but the score after 10 was 19-16 in favor of Olympiacos who quickly snapped out of a numb beginning. Aris wasted no time and got in front trying to take control of the game because the home team faced offensive deficit. The game was tight with intense fights inside the paint and lots of passion in display. Pelekanos scored before the end of the halftime to get the visitors in front 34-37.
After the break, it was Aris again who was dominant and reached a +7 point margin (36-43). However Spanoulis added 3 points behind the arc and it was the beginning of a comeback with a 10-0 run for Olympiacos. After that point the two clubs traded blows until the end of the 3rd period which found the Greek Champions in front by one point, 56-55. Strawberry and Papapetrou started the last quarter with an 8-0 run which Aris had no answers and a timeout was needed. Olympiacos was in control but Aris did not give up, managed to stay withing 5 points but the home team played some important defense plays and secured the big win. Spanoulis was MVP with 15 points and 5 assists but he performed very well defensively and his playmaking experience was crucial. For the defeated team Haggins had 14p. 9 rebounds and 4 blocks.
Kolossos Rhodes- A.E.K. 85-86 O.T. (72-72 regular time)
Yure Zdovc’s debut was successful after and amazing game against Kolossos Rhodes. The two teams were stressed after the jump ball and after 10′, the score was 11-15. Kolossos pressed hard and stayed withing basket’s range, 31-33 at half time. DJ Cooper was on fire and when Saloustros got to guard him, Mavrokefalides stepped up and despite Kolossos’ 59-57 lead they managed to get in front 62-68. AEK felt more comfortable but the home team cropped the point difference and with some seconds left, Larentzakis attempted a three-pointer, drew the foul and scored all three free throws to send the game to overtime.
The extra 5 minutes started with AEK leading 77-83 behind Sakota’s big three, but after that they had a blackout allowing Kolossos to come closer and putting lots of pressure on the visitors’ backs. Mavrokefalides added 2 points with a follow shot but it was the Rhodians who had the last attempt, which they failed and as a result AEK escaped Rhodes behind Cooper’s 20 points alongside his 11 assists. He was very close to a triple-double but he stopped at 9 rebs. For the home side, Releford added 26 points but he missed the final shot.
Arkadikos B.C.- Koroivos Amaliadas 88-89
The last turn of the Championship for 2015 sure was exciting and the match between Arkadikos and Koroivos was definitely one of the best this season. Explosive start for the home side 28-20 after one period where they were unstoppable on offense, but they slowed down until half time, looking to focus on defense. Koroivos found their way from the low post and concluded the half trailing 47-44. They completed the turnaround after 3 quarters when they were leading 63-70. Arkadikos got the game even and after that point, they two sides were looking to get a safe margin, but the game concluded with a heart breaking last minute finale. Finally Trotter scored in the last two free throws and won the game. Key stat was the rebounds where the visitors had 15 more and helped them overtake Arkadikos during the second half. Harris was the MVP with 20 points and 11 rebounds.
P.A.O.K.- Trikala B.C. 82-67
Emphatic win for PAOK at home to end the year against Trikala. The game was mostly decided after the first quarter when the score was 26-4. Trikala tried to recover but PAOK had Tepic in good shape controlling the game with his 18 points and 6 rebounds. Another important news for the home team is that Sofoklis Schortsianitis will not leave the club for Maccaabi as it was rumored.
Apollon Patras- Lavrio G.S. 90-73
Lavrio did not try hard enough to defend Apollon and there is no way you can win a game on the road when you don’t play aggressive basketball. However, they achieved to put the pressure on the home team early on when they led 22-29 but after that, the game started to shift towards Apollon’s side, until the final period where they stormed past the visitors and win the game, having Kevin Dillard leading the scoreboards with 20 points.
Panathinaikos- Kavala B.C. 88-54
Easy match for the “Greens” against Kavala who failed to contain them offensively allowing them to establish their pace early on. They soon gave up allowing Panathinaikos to end the game from half time and have a relaxing game until the end, preparing themselves for the Top-16 game before the end of 2015. Papagiannis had a lot of playing time and he delivered with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
A.G.O.Rethimno- A.E.N.Kifissias 74-61
It was a great defensive display for AGOR, allowed only 61 points and only 41 after 3 periods, managing to frustrate and demoralize AENK, which had a result they missed a lot of open shots. The game had a slower pace but the home team had pretty good shooting totals and Cluff was in great shape with 13 points to boost his team towards a very important win.