By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
After trailing for large stretches of the first half, Olympiacos replied with a double-digit lead before the break and peaked at a 21-point cushion on the way to prevailing, 100-93, over AEK in the Peace and Friendship Stadium.
Resuming action following the FIBA window, the Reds jumped to 9-0 in the 2025-26 Stoiximan GBL Regular Season. Frank Ntilikina netted 14 points, Sasha Vezenkov contributed 13 points, and Kostas Papanikolaou reached 12 points after his fourth triple sealed the win. Also, Thomas Walkup and Donta Hall paired their eight points with seven assists and seven rebounds, respectively.
Chris Silva tallied an individual season-high with 31 points to go with nine rebounds, three assists, and two blocks in SEF, but his side fell to 5-3 in Greece’s top-tier division following two straight wins between the GBL and Basketball Champions League Season X, powered by Ameresco SUNEL, before the international break.
“When we signed a contract and had this clause, we knew it. The player has to decide whether he will be a substitute or a leader. This is the situation,” noted head coach Dragan Sakota in a postgame interview with Greek public television, ERT, referring to possible EuroLeague suitors for the 29-year-old Gabonese forward/center.
The team coached by Giorgos Bartzokas left Keenan Evans, Moustapha Fall, Evan Fournier, Shaquielle McKissic, and Omiros Netzipoglou out of the lineup. For the Queen, Dimitris Katsivelis, Vassilis Charalampopoulos, Greg Brown III, and Gian Clavell were out due to injuries.
Completing the Round 9 schedule later Sunday, Panathinaikos Aktor welcomes Panionios Cosmorama Travel in Telekom Center Athens.
GBL Round 9
PAOK – Kolossos H Hotels Collection 82-70
Promitheas Vikos Cola – Mykonos Betsson 103-83
Karditsa Iaponiki – Iraklis 80-87
Peristeri Betsson – Maroussi 80-78
Olympiacos – AEK 100-93
Panathinaikos Aktor – Panionios Cosmorama Travel (15:00 CET)
STANDINGS: Olympiacos 18 (9-0), PAOK 14 (6-2), Panathinaikos Aktor 13 (6-1), Peristeri Betsson 13 (5-3), AEK 13 (5-3), Promitheas Vikos Cola 13 (4-5)…