With Patrick Beverly leading the way, PAOK beat Bilbao 79-73 in the first FIBA Europe Cup final, taking an important step towards winning the trophy.
In a packed and “hot” Palataki, the two-headed team from the North imposed its rhythm and took the lead ahead of the rematch in Spain (29/4, 21:00), where they will claim the completion of the effort against Jaume Poncharnau’s team.
The hosts got as high as +12 (47-35) early in the third quarter, seemingly in control of the game, but Bilbao responded, with Darun Hilliard and Justin Jaworski keeping their team close.
In addition to Beverley, Bryn Tyree also made an important contribution for PAOK, with the double-header managing their lead well in the final minutes to take the win.
THE REFERRERS: Kozlowski, Manistee, Horozov
THE DETAILS: 16-13, 43-35, 60-53, 79-73
Next games for both teams: The second FIBA Europe Cup final will be played at Bilbao’s home court next Wednesday (4/29, 9:00pm).
