BASKETBALL

Lavrio beats AEK, and Messolonghi the buzzer (video)

Lavrio beats AEK, and Messolonghi the buzzer (video)

Lavrio beat AEK for the second time this season to go it alone at the top of the Basket League table, pending the matches champion Panathinaikos has in hand, but the most meaningful win of the weekend, and equally dramatic, belonged to bottom team Messolonghi.

With Panathinaikos not in action this weekend, as its game with Covid-stricken Iraklis was postponed, Lavrio stole the show with its 97-94 overtime triumph at AEK on Saturday that was a club-record 15th win for this season’s surprise package.

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The result means that Lavrio has taken the upper hand in the battle for a place in the league final, probably against Panathinaikos, as it is set to have home advantage when (and if) it faces AEK in the league semis.

Promitheas Patras will also stake a top-four claim, following its hard-fought 73-70 victory at Peristeri on Sunday.

There were more tight matches over the weekend, as Kolossos edged out Aris on Rhodes 82-73, and PAOK beat Ionikos by the narrowest of margins (84-83).

However the biggest win came from Messolonghi that had Yiannis Hatzinikolas score a buzzer-beating triple to beat Larissa 79-77. The result means Messolonghi has matched Larissa at the bottom of the table, so the rest of the regular season promises to be frantic.