Panathinaikos beats rival, makes quarters
Panathinaikos basketball club reached the Greek Cup’s quarterfinals with a 79-71 win over archrival Olympiakos last night at the latter’s empty home stadium as punishment for crowd violence. With play-maker Dimitris Diamantidis among the key contributors to the rally, Panathinaikos, the defending champion, gained momentum in the second half of play to overcome a determined Olympiakos that established a 10-point lead at one stage in the first half. Panathinaikos, the dominant side in domestic basketball over the past decade, and a European powerhouse with three titles to its credit, proved the more experienced side during the game’s critical moments late in the game. In other results, it was: Larissa-Aegaleo, 80-72; Olympiada Patras-PAOK, 64-69; Rethymnon-Panionios, 80-79; AEK-Aris, 67-64; Kolossos Rhodos-Panellinios, 81-72; Maroussi-Apollon Patras, 84-55; Olympia Larissa-Makedonikos, 147-48.
