The Final 4 of the Errikos Dunan Elite League, which will be held today (17/5) and Sunday (19/5) at the Olympic Center of Ano Liosion, is the absolute climax of the season. Two teams will claim the title of champion and four the two promotion tickets to the Basket League, in three matches that will determine their major goals.
Today (17/5) the games will take place Herakles-Hermes Schimatariou at 17:00 and Panionios-Milon at 20:00. The winner of the second match wins the title and at the same time secures promotion, while the loser will claim on Sunday (19/5, 16:00) the second ticket for the first category against the winner of Heraklis-Hermis Schimatarios. All matches will be televised by Action 24.
Herakles-Hermes Schimatariou (17:00)
Two teams that managed to qualify with a home handicap to the Final 4 of the Eric Dunan Elite League open the curtain on the games. Heraklis and Hermes Schimatariou face each other at 17:00 and the winner will keep the promotion dream alive, since he will play for it on Sunday against the loser of Panionios-Heraklis.
THE Hercules with four consecutive wins in the playoffs managed to overturn the 0-2 of the regular season against Neaniki Estia Megaridas. Now Dionysis Angelou’s team aims to return to the Basket League two years after its relegation. Sarantis Mastrogiannopoulos, who was voted in the best five of the season, gave the signal. “We have waited a long time for this moment, we have prepared well and we will look to play our game. I hope everything goes well, we win the first game and then it’s another equally important one. For me we are not favorites and we both have the same chances. As a name we are favorites, but these are outside of basketball. We will face them as if they are favorites so that we can stay focused for the whole 40 minutes. We will have to control our pace, defensively to deal with the team’s strengths and as they put it, they will win. Our team has shown that we are a family both on and off the pitch. We thank our fans for their support and we hope to make them happy and give 100% in the match with Ermis Schimatariou“, emphasized the 26-year-old guard.
THE Hermes Schimatarios overturned the odds and eliminated Eleftheroupolis by winning the decisive last game away from home. But the dreams do not stop here for Nikos Oikonomou’s team, which wants to pursue its chances for one more breakthrough. The leader of the team, Dimitris Geromichalos, set the tone. “We are happy to have arrived here. We have prepared properly and will give everything to move to the next phase. Coach Oikonomou has some obligations with his family and coach Siskos has experience in the division and I think it will be the same for us. These games are decided on will, which team wants it more and which team is better at details. The pitch will play a role, but it will be the will that decides the result“, noted the 30-year-old guard.
The referees of the match will be Pitsilkas-Theonas-Hatzimbalidis (Dinos).
Panionios-Milon
Two teams from the same…neighborhood, two teams that were promoted together last year from the Second National League and this year lived together in the “Crossroads of Persia”, reached the point of playing a final. Panionios faces Milos at 20:00 in a game that gives the winner the title of champion and promotion to the Basket League, but gives the loser a second chance at promotion, on Sunday (16:00) against the winner of Herakles -Hermis Schimatariou.
THE Panionios against the many injuries he finished first in the regular season and in the playoffs he eliminated Papagou. Now the goal is nothing more than the trophy and the return to the Basket League after four years. THE Dimitris Kaklamanakis well aware of the stakes. “We have been carrying the weight of the big favorite all year and we have clearly been aiming for promotion since the beginning of the year. This is what we have come to do now in the last games in the Final 4. We have to prove why we have been first all year and win to get promotion. I think that all the players should give our best, play as a team and everyone should give something for it. And that the team succeeds in being the one to win and move up a division and let’s all celebrate it together. What we have done so far does not count“, emphasized the 30-year-old center.
THE Milon, who adjusted his goals during the season, overcame the obstacle of Korivos Amaliadas in the playoffs and will now claim not only the title, but also his presence in the Basket League for the third time, after the seasons 1993/94 and 2000/01 . Petros Melissaratos dreams of a title and promotion. “It’s a game where anything can happen. I think both us and Panionios are ready. It will be a different match than the other two we have played this year. We are very happy to be here and we will fight with all our being to get the promotion. Everything has its importance in such games, but the one who wants it the most also plays a decisive role in the outcome of the game. We have changed a lot since the league matches“, noted the 31-year-old center.
The referees of the match will be Poursanidis G.-Symeonidis-Christinakis (Nigiannis).
Source: Sport Fm
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