Defeat to AEK BC in the playoff finale

ARIS Betsson lost 87-81 to AEK in the opening game of the quarterfinal stage of the Stoiximan GBL playoffs.

Igor Milicic’s team came back from a 15-point deficit in the final quarter and cut the margin to three points, but could not complete the comeback.

Harrell made it 3-2, but AEK responded with an 11-2 run. Noua made it 11-5 and Harrell cut it to 13-8. Jones scored and drew the foul to make it 13-11, before Forrester reduced the gap to 15-13. He then made it 17-15 and tied the score at 17-17 at the end of the first quarter.

Mitrou-Long hit a three-pointer to make it 22-20, while Kulboka also scored from beyond the arc to make it 24-23. Noua cut the deficit to 29-25, but AEK extended its lead to 34-25. Mitrou-Long made it 34-28 and Noua reduced it to 34-30. Noua then hit a three-pointer to make it 36-33 and followed up with a putback for 38-35. Forrester cut the margin to 42-37 before the hosts moved ahead 46-37. The first half ended 46-40, after a three-pointer by Mitrou-Long.

AEK made it 50-41, with Noua responding for 50-44 and 52-46. Antetokounmpo reduced the deficit to 52-48, while Noua, who had 19 points at that stage, made it 53-50 and 55-52. AEK then pulled away to 64-52, before Harrell cut it to 64-54. The third quarter ended 66-54.

The hosts made it 69-54, before Antetokounmpo and Noua reduced the deficit to 69-58. Mitrou-Long made it 72-60 and Jones cut it to 75-62. The American scored and drew the foul to make it 75-65, before Kulboka reduced the gap to 75-67. Andjusic brought ARIS even closer at 75-69, before AEK made it 79-69. Bochhoridis scored for 79-71 and Kulboka made it 79-74. Noua reduced the deficit to 79-76. Lekavicius made it 81-76 from the free-throw line, before Noua was called for an offensive foul and Milicic was charged with a technical foul. Noua then scored and drew the foul to make it 82-79. AEK made it 84-79, the referees did not allow the substitution requested by Milicic, and the score became 86-79, effectively deciding the game.

Quarter scores: 17-17, 46-40, 66-54, 87-81.

See the game statistics HERE.