Basketball in Greece

Promitheas put an end to second-placed Lavrio's winning streak, while Panathinaikos and AEK scraped past their weekend opponents in the Basket League.

A few days after Lavrio beat Promitheas at home in a postponed game from last fall, the Patra team avenged that result on Saturday as it managed to come from behind and win 90-88 in a nail-biter.

The Greek champion is preparing for the Australian Open

Promitheas Patras got the better of AEK in Athens on Saturday, with Panathinaikos strolling to the top of the table - one point ahead of Peristeri and with a game in hand - through a win at Aris on Sunday, in games postponed from the fall.

Surprise package Lavrio added an even more important scalp to that of AEK, as on Sunday it defeated champion Panathinaikos at home.

Just like AEK a week earlier, the Greens had their unbeaten record shattered at Lavrio, with a 92-82 score, paying for their complacency as they had enjoyed a comfortable lead in the first half.

Basket League leader Peristeri got upset at home to hitherto winless Lavrio on Saturday and is joined at the top of the table by AEK and Iraklis, though these three teams have not played the same number of games. AEK and Panathinaikos remain the teams with a perfect record to date.

Panathinaikos and AEK extended their unbeaten runs in the Basket League with easy wins over the weekend, that saw five out of the six scheduled matches take place. Promitheas and Peristeri had to work hard to beat their opponents from Thessaloniki.

AEK inflicted the second loss of the season on Panathinaikos with a 100-97 score in the Athens derby on Sunday, to climb to third on the Basket League table.

AEK will bid on Sunday to become the third Greek club to win FIBA's Intercontinental Cup, after beating San Lorenzo from Argentina 86-64 in the tournament's first semifinal on Friday in Rio de Janeiro.

In Sunday's final AEK will face the winner of the second semifinal between the Austin Spurs and Flamengo.

Holargos has become the latest of Greek teams to challenge Olympiakos at home and threaten the Reds with their second defeat, but without success.

The Basket League new boys took Olympiakos to overtime in the gripping game that took place on Sunday, only for the far more experienced visitors to win 73-68, after 45 tense minutes that produced just 141 points in total.

Panathinaikos and Olympiakos eased to comfortable home victories for the Basket League against Holargos and AEK respectively on Sunday ahead of a very challenging week in the Euroleague. Aris and Lavrio edged closer to safety with precious wins.