Shooting guards

By George Georgakopoulos

Panathinaikos succumbed to unbeaten Barcelona in Spain on Friday, going down 84-62, but Armani Milano’s win in Turkey over Fenerbahce has boosted the Greens’ chances for a top-four finish in the group. They should go through to the quarterfinals with victory over Unicaja Malaga in Athens next week.

 Obradovic returned to Athens with Fenerbahce, but Panathinaikos triumphed buy nine

By George Georgakopoulos

By George Georgakopoulos

Panathinaikos revived its hopes of advancing to the quarterfinals of the Euroleague with a victory at Anadolu Efes in overtime on Friday, while depleted Olympiakos succumbed to unbeaten group leader Barcelona in Spain.

Belgrade-based basketball club Red Star reached the Eurocup quarterfinals although outplayed by Lithuania's Lietuvos Rytas 82-80 (17-20, 25-27, 16-12, 24-19) in a rematch in Vilnius on Wednesday evening.

Panathinaikos suffered on Friday an unexpected home loss to bottom club Laboral Kutxa with a 68-61 score that has dealt a major blow to its chances for qualifying to the quarterfinals of the Euroleague.

It would be fair to say Panathinaikos underestimated Laboral, that had only scored one win in its previous eight games in the second group stage of the competition.

BELGRADE - Red Star Belgrade beat Lithuania's Lietuvos Rytas 88-82 (23-27, 22-14, 25-19, 18-22) in Belgrade late Wednesday in the first leg of the Eurocup Basketball round of last 16.

Marjanovic, who scored 21 points, Dragicevic (16 points) and Nelson (13 points) led Red Star to victory, while Seibutis (17 points) and Gecevicius (14 points) were the top scorers for the visiting team.

BOLOGNA - Italy's Virtus Bologna has honored Serbian basketball star Predrag Danilovic by retiring his No. 5 jersey.

The ceremony took place on Sunday evening after a game between Virtus and Roma (85-89) in Bologna.

About 10,000 Virtus fans came to salute Danilovic, former Yugoslav player and current chair of the Belgrade-based basketball club Partizan.