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Valencia snatched back home advantage in its series with Panathinaikos after beating the Greeks on Friday for the second time in Athens within 48 hours, in Game 4 of the best-of-five series.<\/p>\n
The Greens lost 89-86 and will go to Spain next week for the final game to decide which of the two rivals will graduate to the Euroleague Final Four, to take place in Athens later this month.<\/p>\n
The series is now tied at 2-2, with all games going to the visitors, with Game 5 scheduled for next Tuesday in Valencia.<\/p>\n
On Friday, the first half belonged to Valencia, with the visitors leading 39-24 three minutes from the end of the first half, that finished with a nine-point margin (46-37).<\/p>\n
Panathinaikos climbed its way back into the game, and even led for a brief period in the third quarter (49-48), but Valencia was stronger. There were periods the Greens\u2019 defense was too soft and paid the price for it, and the home team badly missed its injured captain, Kostas Sloukas.<\/p>\n
Even, so it all went down to the last attack by the Greens, who had seven seconds to send the game to overtime, but the Spanish pressure on Nigel Hayes-Davis forced him to take a long shot that narrowly missed the target.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile Fenerbahce won its series with Zalgiris Kaunas and will be Olympiakos\u2019 opponent in the Athens Final Four semifinal.<\/p>\n
In the Basketball Champions League \u2013 FIBA\u2019s answer to the Euroleague \u2013 AEK has managed to reach the final after beating Malaga 78-65 in the semifinal. It will face Rytas Vilnius for the trophy on Saturday.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n