AEK Athens came within a whisker of winning the fourth European title in its history, but were bowed out in overtime by Rytas Vilnius 92-86 in the Basketball Champions League final in Bandalona.
Dragan Sakota’s team had an impressive performance for three quarters, even reaching +20, but lost concentration in the last part and allowed the Lithuanians to get back into the game.
The Union came out strong from the first minutes, with Bartley and Nanali providing solutions in the offense and leading AEK to a 25-15 lead at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, the Greek team continued with excellent defensive commitment and managed to close the half with a 42-25 lead, fully controlling the pace of the game.
The picture remained the same in the third quarter, with Fizel offering important solutions and AEK maintaining a safety difference, reaching +18 (63-45).
However, in the last quarter, Rita reacted. Harding and especially Lukosius hit big threes to tie the game, taking advantage of the drop in AEK’s performance.
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Despite crucial free throws by Nanali in the final period, Lukosius tied the game again with a three-pointer, sending the final to overtime, where the Lithuanians completed the upset and cruised to a 92-86 victory.
THE JUDGES:Rosso, Kozlowski, Anaya
TIME: 25-15, 42-25, 63-45, 80-80, 86-92
