[MGSA-L] AEK - European Champion on 50-year anniversary of its first Euro trophy

[Athanasios Grammenos]

http://www.ekathimerini.com/228368/article/ekathimerini/sports/aek-wins-the-basketball-champions-league-on-50-year-anniversary-of-its-first-euro-trophy


GEORGE GEORGAKOPOULOS
ATHENS - AEK won the third European trophy of its history and its first
Basketball Champions League, triumphing 100-94 over Monaco in the final
staged on Sunday, May 6, in its home court, the Olympic Sports Hall in
Athens.

While the tournament lags in significance and popularity to the Euroleague,
it still offered a great quality of basketball and a spectacular Final Four
in Athens that definitely had more fans at the stands than that of the
Euroleague in Belgrade later this month.

The Yellows dominated the game from start to finish despite facing a team
that was better throughout the season. Yet Monaco could not match the
passion generated from the stands by the 20,000 AEK fans who held a party
from start to finish.

AEK stormed into the final taking a nine-point lead which it preserved
until half-time (53-44) and never allowed Monaco to level the score even
when it went mighty close (60-59).

Although it nearly threw away its lead toward the end, just like in the
semifinal against Murcia, AEK held on for a six-point win that came on the
50-year anniversary of its triumph at the 1968 Cup Winners Cup. It also
landed the Saporta Cup in 2000.

Mike Green was voted the Most Valuable Player of the final, as well as
being the top scorer with 19 points, while Manny Harris was awarded the
distinction of being the MVP of the season in the Champions League in what
was only its second version.

In a year where AEK has won the Greek Cup and the Champions League, it
seems that Greece has got a third major force to add to Panathinaikos and
Olympiakos, possibly opening up the league battle to come in the play-offs.

-- 
*And if you find her poor, Ithaka won’t have fooled you.*
*Wise as you will have become, so full of experience,*
*you will have understood by then what these Ithakas mean. *
*Constantine Cavafy*


*Εσμέν Έλληνες το γένος, ως η τε φωνή και η πάτριος παιδεία μαρτυρεί.We
 are ethnic Greeks, as our tongue and education reveals.Plethon Gemistos*
*Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will
be filled. *
*Mακάριοι οἱ πεινῶντες καὶ διψῶντες τὴν δικαιοσύνην, ὅτι αὐτοὶ
χορτασθήσονται.Matthew 5:6*
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