Could you imagine having our three teams fighting for a place in the 2^nd round of the Euroleague? In this case, "fighting" is  synonymous with "risking," unfortunately, because AEK, Panathinaikos and Olympiakos aren’t still sure to participate to the Top-16 with two games to play in the regular season, confirming the current troubles of the Greek basketball.

 

Before putting an eye to the situations of Yellow-Blacks, Greens and Red, remember: five teams for each group go to the top-16 with the best 6^th classified in the three groups of the regular season.

 

AEK Athens, group A (5-7): the Byzantines will decide their future in the last two games against two direct opponents as Olimpija Ljubljana and Partizan Belgrade. Actually Slovenians and Serbs have the same record of AEK (together with Pau Orthez). AEK will face Olimpija at home, flying to Belgrade in the last match-day. There are lots of arithmetical possibilities for these teams (two of them, normally, will be eliminated) and for the squad of coach Katsikaris probably there’s only a chance to advance: two games, two victories. Ending the regular season with the record 6-8 and considering that probably the mentioned teams will have the same balance, AEK would be 6^th in the group. In the aggregate games between these teams, Olimpija would be 4-2, AEK and Pau 3-3, Partizan 2-4. A 6^th place with the actual bad difference in points scored (-30) would mean elimination. AEK should “recover” 18 points to Pau, for example defeating Olimpija by 19 and losing at Belgrade by 1: in this case, AEK would be 5^th (and qualified).

 

What else can happen? AEK could hope in a difficult come-back of Lottomatica Rome, actually 4-8, that winning the last two games (at Zagreb and vs Pau Orthez) could join the group of the “6-8”, and the 2-0 against the Italian would be a decisive help for the qualification. A miracle of Ulker in France would be welcomed too: ending the regular season with the same record of Olimpija and Partizan (and eventually Lottomatica), AEK would be qualified.

 

Too many results not depending from the Athenian team--the truth is that AEK must build its own qualification, winning the two remaining games to close the group with a record of 7-7.

Panathinaikos, group B (6-6): after defeating Siena, the Greens reached the 5^th place and the virtual qualification to the top-16. Now Panathinaikos can’t lose its concentration in the two remaining games against the already eliminated Unicaja Malaga (in Spain) and Krka Novo Mesto (at home). Winning both games the Obradovic band would be able to reach the 3^rd place (PAO has a 2-0 against Skipper Bologna that will go to play a difficult derby at Siena), winning just one the qualification wouldn’t be in danger (ending the group with the same record of Montepaschi Siena and Zalgiris Kaunas the Greens would be 5^th), losing both games…

 

 

Panathinaikos would be involved in a bad situation if Zalgiris will end the group with a 7-7 record: 6^th place for PAO, watching what happens in the other groups. Anyway, the job of the Greek champions isn’t so difficult. Only Panathinaikos can create to himself some troubles, but they have too much experience to risk that.

 

 

 

Olympiakos, group C (5-7): after the bad start (0-5) Olympiakos recovered with a 5-2 but the qualification to the 2^nd round is still difficult. The impressive Euroleague played by Slask Wroclaw “stole” a place for the top-16, and the Piraeus has to close the regular season with two victories to stay alive. The calendar isn’t an impossible mission, Asvel Villeurbanne at Korydallos and Alba Berlin in Germany, normally Olympiakos shouldn’t be scared by these teams. Yes to respect, no to fear. Slask Wroclaw will meet away Efes Pilsen and will give hospitality to Benetton Treviso, a more difficult road than the one of the Reds: anyway Olympiakos must think to its direct opponents, winning both games. If Olympiakos and Slask Wroclaw will have the same record (6-8 or 7-7), the Greek squad having won 98-92 at Korydallos and lost 80-82 at Wroclaw, will have a better position. In this case, the 5^th place that directly qualify to the top-16.