Tight race for three to avoid the drop in basketball
AEK and Iraklis scored crucial victories in their effort to avoid the drop, and are now tied at the bottom of the basketball league table with Ilisiakos. Only one out of the three will stay up.
AEK defeated Peristeri 64-60 and Iraklis saw off Kavala 83-79, setting up a tight race to the end of the regular season with seven rounds of games to go. Ilisiakos, on the other hand, lost 82-77 at Panionios. All three teams have 24 points from 19 games.
Panellinios cannot rest easy yet, as it is only one point ahead of the three. The Lamia-based side lost 79-61 at Olympiakos on February 27, with the Reds maintaining their perfect record.
They are, as is usual, followed by Panathinaikos, who bounced back from its Euroleague loss on February 23 to thrash host Maroussi 98-57 on February 26.
PAOK is now joint third along with Maroussi, after defeating Ikaros Kallitheas 76-64 in Athens, while Aris is also staking a claim for a top-four finish after downing declining Kolossos Rhodes 75-66 in Thessaloniki.