Relegation battle is thrown wide open in domestic basketball league
The battle to avoid relegation in the basketball league has heated up after Saturday’s results, with Ilisiakos scoring a crucial win at home over fellow straggler Kavala. The Zografou club won 73-66 to move to within one point of safety, i.e. catching up with Kavala or Trikala, but it will also have a better head-to-head record with Kavala, having beaten the Macedonian club twice. Kolossos edged closer to finishing fifth after downing Aris 79-73 at home in a fantastic game on Rhodes. PAOK, in sixth, could still snatch the fifth spot though, after its glorious comeback from 16 points down to beat Panionios 79-77 in Athens. Champion Panathinaikos put on another show of strength in Trikala, winning 101-72 as rival Olympiakos sat the weekend out due to its Euroleague commitments last Thursday, when it beat Prokom 90-73 and ahead of its visit to the Polish side tomorrow to conclude its qualification to the competition’s Final Four. In the other games: Maroussi won 73-66 at AEK and Panellinios dismissed Olympia 96-80 in Larissa.
