By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
PAOK Mateco secured their third win in Group G of the Basketball Champions League, defeating Benfica 76-74 in Thessaloniki.
If Hapoel Jerusalem defeats Galatasaray in the Round 4 game scheduled for Tuesday (30/11), the Greek side will secure one of the top three spots in the group, guaranteeing at least a place in the play-ins.
Laurynas Beliauskas led the scoring for the winning side with 20 points, while Michalis Tsairelis followed with 15. Kendall Smith and Andrew Harrison added 13 points each for PAOK.
Aaron Broussard stood out for Benfica with 20 points, while Toney Douglas added 12, Betinho Gomes 11, and Trey Drechsel 10 points.
Benfica opened the match with an 11-1 run, but PAOK answered with an 11-3 run. The guests remained in the lead until the very last moments of the second period when the hosts grabbed their first lead of the game, entering the break with a 39-37 score.
From then on, the lead often changed hands, and after Kendall Smith’s tough two-pointer entering the last minute, marking the 13th lead change of the match, PAOK took control and seized the victory.
Postgame press conference