Welcome back, Aris!

They are back, it’s official: winning at Kozain against Makedonikos its 9th game in a row, Aris Thessaloniki declares to be ready to fight for the championship with the same weapons of the current leaders, Marousi and Panathinaikos. Aris after a great battle with two players getting a double-double (Fedor Likholitov 16 points and 10 rebounds; Ryan Stack 19 points and 13 rebounds) and the classical efforts of Nestoras Kommatos (23 points and 8 rebounds) and William Parker (17 points and 8 assists); Aris is actually 3rd in the standing, projected to a quarter of final with the home-court advantage and an incredible semi-final against Panathinaikos. After too many years of sufferance, of financial problems, of mediocrity, Aris finally has came back to the level the Yellow-Blacks deserve: Aris is a protagonist, having in its hands the resurrection of basketball in Macedonia after seasons of a crisis that involved the other teams of Thessaloniki, Iraklis and PAOK.

Makedonikos had been in the game for 38 minutes (78-80), but Kommatos from downtown scored the +5 for Aris (78-83). The Russian center Likholitov had other two points (78-85) before the courageous try of Ira Clark (82-85). Too late, Ryan Stack closed the game with four consecutive points giving to Aris the success in one of the most exciting games of the whole season.

Marousi and Panathinaikos still keeps on leading the standing without making false steps against PAOK Thessaloniki and Apollon Patras: the team coached by Panagiotis Giannakis easily managed the worst PAOK of the year flying in the 3rd quarter, signing a 26-10 that destroyed the hopes of the Macedonian squad: Hutson confirmed his worth scoring 22 points and grabbing 11 rebounds, in a game won in the paint. Marousi captured 49 rebounds (20 offensive) while PAOK only 31. Easiest job for Panathinaikos against the same team that kicked the Greens away from the Greek Cup in September: 91-63 at the end, with the Hellenic champs finding the victory from beyond the arc (9/22) while Apollon answered with an awful 10% (2/20).

AEK reaches the 4th place in the standing defeating with many troubles the little Ilysiakos on the road. Without Andreas Glyniadakis, AEK found its match-winner in Pantelis Papaioakeim (19 points with 8/10 fg) while lost Hristos Tapoutos one minute before the halftime: the ex Near East was the favourite target of the refs who whistled him for three fouls, and then the 4th: Tapoutos didn’t accept the decision and was benched with a technical foul, followed by the expulsion. The Eagles recovered in the 3rd period, from 32-42 to 52-49 and with coldness closed the game in the last minutes with two free throws of Nikos Hatzis and a steal by Horace Jenkins.

Peristeri confirms its crisis losing against Ionikos Nea Filadelfia the third game in a row: Brad Traina had 28 points with 8/9 ft, 4/6 2pg and 4/10 3pg, while Pete Mickeal answered with another bad performance (12 points) and the team from Nea Filadelfia still hopes: the stay in A1 is only two victories far. Unfortunately for Ionikos they won’t meet anymore Peristeri in the league, the Princes of the West are the best opponents for them, having won against the squad of Pedoulakis two of their four victories in this championship.

 

Olympiakos relaxed Sunday, the Legend of Piraeus destroyed Irakleio 87-52, reaching the 8th position that means playoff. This wasn’t the perfect game for the Islander to come back to the success (7 defeats in a row), while Olympiakos can breathe again the air of playoff. The Reds walk always on the razor’s edge, but now they are at the same floor of Makedonikos, having Peristeri and PAOK in the sight. And the playoff aren’t anymore only an impossible dream for Panionios, that found a fundamental victory at the Ivanofeio of Thessaloniki against Iraklis without Giannis Giannoulis: when Ruben Douglas decided to show his skills (30 points, 6/8 2ptg, 6/9 3ptg), Panionios can dream, becoming a nightmare for its opponents.

 

Match Day #19, the Results:

Ilysiakos – AEK Athens, 83-86

Ionikos Nea Filadelfia – Peristeri, 86-84

Iraklis – Panionios Smyrna, 70-84

Makedonikos Kozani – Aris Thessaloniki, 84-93

Marousi – PAOK Thessaloniki, 88-70

Olympiakos Piraeus – Irakleio, 87-52

Panathinaikos – Apollon Patras, 91-63

 

Match Day #19, the Standings:

Marousi 16-3

Panathinaikos 14-4 (*)

Aris Thessaloniki 13-6

AEK Athens 11-7 (*)

Iraklis Thessaloniki 11-8

Peristeri 10-9

PAOK Thessaloniki 10-9

Makedonikos Kozani 9-10

Olympiakos Piraeus 9-10

Panionios Smyrna 8-11

Irakleio 6-13

Apollon Patras 6-13

Ilysiakos 5-14

Ionikos Nea Filadelfia 4-15

 

(*) AEK – Panathinaikos to be replayed on February, the 26