Ilisiakos and Aris on top in tight games
Olympiakos and Panathinaikos enjoyed comfortable home wins on Tuesday to end the year at the top of the basketball league table but it was Ilisiakos that scored the victory of the day. Despite injuries to Thodoris Papaloukas and Patrick Beverley, Olympiakos defeated visiting Peristeri 78-70 to maintain the lead at the table, albeit with the same points as Panathinaikos. The Greens beat Trikala comprehensively (83-54) playing against a team which was without coach, as Vangelis Angelou had resigned earlier in the day. Yesterday he told a press conference that there was no energy left in the club and he thought he could spark it back to life by resigning. Panellinios, in third, edged out visiting Olympia Larissas 81-73 as Maroussi saw off AEK 61-56 to remain level on points with Panellinios. Aris scored a hard-fought home win over Kolossos Rhodes, with the final 51-47 illustrating how tight the game was in Thessaloniki. Across town, PAOK braved Panionios’s late comeback to win 75-70. Ilisiakos recorded only its second victory of the season but it was a very important one at fellow struggler Kavala. It came through a three-pointer by Sakis Karydas five seconds from time, for a 70-68 result.
