Aris leads series for Euroleague berth
Thessaloniki basketball club Aris made the most of its home ground advantage to defeat Panionios 65-57 last night and take a 2-1 lead in their best-of-five series for the Greek league’s third place and a Euroleague berth next season. The contestants remain undefeated at home in their three matches so far. Aris held a steady lead throughout last night’s game. The Thessaloniki team led 17-14 at the end of the first quarter, 32-26 at halftime, and 53-40 after the third quarter before holding on for its 65-57 win. The two teams meet again on Saturday in Game 4 of their series. A win for Aris would hand the team third place and a return to the Euroleague for a second successive year. Defending champion Panathinaikos hosts Olympiakos tonight in Game 3 of their best-of-five title series with the contestants tied at a win apiece.
