SPORTS

Panathinaikos wins Greek basketball cup

European champion Panathinaikos overcame the strong resistance of Olympiakos to win the Greek Cup final on Saturday at Elliniko with a 71-70 score.

The fifth consecutive cup final played at the same court featuring the same opponents had Panathinaikos break the two-year reign of Olympiakos in the competition in a tight match that was decided in the last shot.

The Greens were the better team in the first half leading by as much as 12 points (29-17), but the half ended with just three points separating the two sides (38-35).

Olympiakos?s comeback was completed in the third period as an 11-0 partial score saw the Reds lead 46-35 and then 58-45.

However the experience of Panathinaikos and the absence of Olympiakos?s Acie Law told in the end, as the Greens cut the distance and equalized at 68-68 and led 70-68.

Two free throws by Giorgos Printezis pulled the Reds back level at 70-70. Dimitris Diamantidis scored one out of two free throws for 71-70 and Olympiakos wasted the full 24 seconds it had in its collective hands as the late shot by Costas Papanikolaou did not stand much of a chance.

This was a record 13th Greek Cup for the six-time European champion, whose Sarunas Jasikevicius was voted the Most Valuable Player of the final.

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