Maroussi alone in Eurocup win
Greek clubs garnered only one win out of a possible three in the Eurocup yesterday. Maroussi beat Latvia’s ASK Riga 82-77 in a strange atmosphere that felt like a mix between a basketball game and a demonstration (see left). The Athens side managed to take a 12-point lead at one point but the Latvians closed the gap to just one point. Fortunately, for the host team, its players were not distracted by the industrial chants and scored their second win in four games. Panellinios suffered its third loss in four games, going down 78-76 at Bnei Hasharon after a close game in Israel that the Greeks could have won. The loss effectively means the Kypseli side has been all but eliminated. In the same group, Aris was also defeated away from home, in its first loss in the competition. The Thessaloniki club could not match Turk Telekom in Ankara and lost 78-65. The loss means it has dropped to second spot, as the two teams are level on points at the top of the pool but Aris beat the Turkish side by just four points in Thessaloniki. For the Euroleague, Panathinaikos hosts Nancy and Olympiakos greets Cibona Zagreb tonight, while tomorrow night Panionios entertains Efes Pilsen in a crucial game.
