Toliopoulos and Harel were excellent in “Alexandreio” and scoring 20 and 21 points respectively, Aris prevailed over PAOK with a score of 77-63.
Aris was the big winner of the Thessaloniki derby, after beating PAOK with a score of 77-63. Toliopoulso and Harel “carried” the Kastritis team in the attack with the 20 and 21 points they scored respectively, giving the yellow and black team their 11th victory in the Basket League championship.
The evolution of the fight
The great Thessaloniki derby fully justified its reputation in the first half, where Aris and PAOK went hand in hand and neither team managed to take a lead of more than 5 points.
The home side saw the northern double-header come into the match strongly and take points from McNeese, holding the lead until the 7th minute. Then Aris overtook and the first quarter saw the yellow and black team leading 24-22.
From the moment they had taken the lead, the Kastritis players did not let PAOK go ahead again. The two groups may have been constantly at a distance 2 to 5 points, however, the guests did not allow Aris to escape and gain a psychological advantage. In the 20th minute, Ares was leading 40-36 and was feeling the hot breath of the northern doubleheader!
The third period made us none the wiser as to the eventual winner. The two teams continued at the same tempo with the home team going the distance until the +8, but PAOK put the brakes on every attempt by Aris to escape further. That’s how the scoreboard read in the 30th minute 58-51 and the promises of a derby-thriller remained… alive!
But Kastritis’ team seemed to have no appetite for big… thrills and quickly increased the lead to +12 (63-51).
In the last period the hosts were even more aggressive. Kastritis’ team they reached the difference to +16 (77-61)essentially cleaning up the match, as the visitors were never able to react…
THE DECADES: 24-22, 40-36, 58-51, 77-63
MARS (Kastritis): Toliopoulos 20, Bloombergs 1, Bohorides 10, Harel 21, Bankston 6, Slaftsakis, Stark 7, Sanogo 3, Katsivelis, Persidis 2, De Souza 7, Kalogiros
PAOK (Takianos): Towns 5, McNish 20, Fredrickson 9, Williams 9, Alston 6, Tsiakmas 1, Schizas 4, Tsairelis 2, Margaritis 4, Michalak 3
Remember the match live here
END OF THE GAME Aris – PAOK 77-63!
39′ The difference increased to +16, 77-61
38′: Schizas is down, 73-61 the score
- PAOK reduces to 72-59 but we still have two minutes left and his image shows that he will hardly be able to achieve a reversal
- Toliopoulos “ends” the derby with two consecutive three-pointers, the score at 72-58 with 2.48” left
- Three-pointer by Toliopoulos and 69-58, Aris close to victory
- Both teams were nervous in the last quarter, 66-58 the score at 36′
- 36, McNeese cuts with 1/2 shots, 65-56!
- The match was scoreless in the last two minutes
- PAOK reduced, Aris answered and 65-55 at 34′
- 32′ at +10 the score for the first time, 61-51
- Toliopoulos does it 60-51
31′ We have no change in the score, 58-51!
- End of the 3rd period, Aris – PAOK 58-51!
- 28′ Harrell scored a new three-pointer, Aris ahead with 54-47!
- 27′ Fridriksson does it with an awesome three-pointer 51-47! Awesome match
- Bloombergs leads to 5 with 1/2 shots: 49-44 score.
- 26′ PAOK reduces to 48-44
24′ Bohorides makes the score 48-42 with a three-pointer
- 23′ 45-40 the home team keep their lead!
- The second half began, 43-38 the score at 21′
- End of half time: Aris – PAOK 40-36.
18′ Aris has a lead of four points, 40-36
17′ 38-35 the score, the possession of Aris
- 36-33 at 16′, Aris maintains a small lead
- The match has turned into a personal show by Harel, 34-31
- 14′ Tsairelis reduced the score to 32-31
- 32-29 with shots by Harel who reached 11 and became the first double-digit player of the game
- 30-29 with a basket by Michalak, the new PAOK player opened an account
- 27-25 the score at 12′
- The guests were down, 27-24!
- Aris entered the 2nd quarter with three points, 27-22 the score at 11′
At the end of the 1st period, Aris leads 24-22
- 24-20, Aris gets a difference of 4 points for the first time today
- 2 minutes left in the 1st period. Aris – PAOK 22-20!
There is a problem with a fan sitting in the coirt seats and for that we have a stoppage in the game. He feels unwell and has taken the Aris medical team to him for first aid.
7′ Aris overtook, 17-16 the score!
6′ Bohorides reduces to 13-16!
5′ McNeese carries the attack of PAOK after he has 8 points. Harel is active for Aris with 6 points and Toliopoulos has added the other 5.
4′ The two teams fight fiercely, PAOK is at +5 at the end of the first four minutes (11-16).
- 3′ McNeese’s new basket, 8-10 the match,. Great pace
- The home team equalizes with Toliopoulos’ three-pointer, 8-8
- Toliopoulos reduced the score to 5-8.
- 2′ Basket and foul by Towns, 3-8 score. PAOK entered the match strongly.
- 1′ Harrell reduces with a three-pointer, 3-5
- 1′ 0-5 with a basket by McNeese
- 1′ 0-3 with a three-pointer by Williams
- 1′ The match has started
We will be a few minutes late since the parquet was filled with papers at the entrance of Aris. Classic things about “Alexandrio”
The jamball is scheduled for 16.30
Good evening. We will watch together the great derby of Thessaloniki for the 18th matchday of the Basket Leaguebetween Aris and PAOK.
????Sportal Sunday Live with PAOK – AEK and all the reporting from Toumba