By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
The same old story unfolded in Heraklion. For the third straight time, the Greek Cup finals were held in the largest city of Crete, and Olympiacos emerged victorious once again.
Under the leadership of Georgios Bartzokas, Olympiacos defeated arch-rivals Panathinaikos Aktor in the final with a score of 58-69, securing their 12th Cup and narrowing the gap between them and the Green’s record of 20.
In the fifth eternal derby of the season, Olympiacos emerged victorious for the third time. The Piraeus team lost both regular-season clashes in the Basket League to Panathinaikos but won both finals so far, claiming the Greek Supercup and Cup. They also secured victory in the sole EuroLeague derby.
Moustapha Fall led the winning side with 13 points and seven rebounds, achieving a game-high PIR of 22, and winning the MVP honors, while Moses Wright also contributed 13 points. Filip Petrusev was the only other player on Bartzokas’ team in double figures, scoring 10 points, while Kostas Papanikolau added nine points along with five assists.
On the other side, Dinos Mitoglou had 16 points but lost a bit of rhythm in the decisive period when Olympiacos pulled away to 48-62, which proved unattainable for Panathinaikos. Matthias Lessort added 12 points, Jerian Grant contributed 11 with five assists and rebounds, while Kendrick Nunn scored 10, going 0-5 from beyond the arc.
Olympiacos reached a 16-12 lead in the 11th minute, but Panathinaikos responded with a 7-0 run to take a 19-16 lead, with a three-pointer from Mitoglou in the 13th minute. Despite Grant’s eight points helping Panathinaikos stay ahead 24-23 in the 16th minute, Olympiacos closed the first half with a 7-0 run to lead 30-25 at the break.
In the third quarter, Panathinaikos equalized at 39-39 with Mitoglou scoring 13 points, but Olympiacos responded with an 8-0 run to lead 47-39 by the 30th minute. The 17 overall turnovers by Panathinaikos contributed to Olympiacos’ advantage, eventually securing a commanding lead for the Piraeus side until the end.
2024 Greek Cup
Quarterfinals
Panathinaikos – AEK 79-72
PAOK – Aris 74-76
Olympiacos – Peristeri 87-68
Promitheas – Panionios 88-48
Semifinals
Panathinaikos – Aris 76-65
Olympiacos – Promitheas 91-77
Final
Panathinaikos – Olympiacos 58-69