Aris beats PAOK in basketball Cup derby
Aris and Panionios have joined favorites Panathinaikos and Olympiakos in the last four of the Greek Cup, after the quarterfinals of the competition were completed this week.
Aris outplayed bitter crosstown rival PAOK away to win 71-63 on Wednesday in the first clash between the Thessaloniki giants this season.
Panionios had a far easier task against Kolossos Rhodes at Nea Smyrni, overcoming its visitor with an 82-65 score.
With a remarkable scoring rate of 75 percent in two-point shots, holder Panathinaikos produced an emphatic 31-point win (83-52) on Tuesday at AGO Rethymnou, the side that had finished fourth last season.
Finally Olympiakos, fresh from its crowning as the Intercontinental Champion in Brazil, defeated host Ilisiakos at Zografou by the same margin as Panathinaikos, as the final score was 85-54. The game on Thursday was played without any fans at the stands as police feared of clashes between fans of Olympiakos and Panathinaikos, given that the latter club has a strong following at Zografou.
The league begins this weekend, featuring the derby between Olympiakos and Panathinaikos that is scheduled for Monday, October 15. The game will be held behind closed doors in Piraeus as Olympiakos begins to serve the penalty for its fans’ action that forced the abandonment of the last game of the league finals in June.
