Aris: Collapsed at the end and now goes to Lefkada

Aris suffered its first defeat in this year's EuroCup, losing 84-73 to Hapoel Jerusalem in Belgrade for the 6th matchday of the first group.

Vassilis Spanoulis' team was competitive for more than 35 minutes and led at halftime, but absences, 17 turnovers, and fatigue affected them in the final. The Israelis closed the game with a 9-0 run and maintained their perfect record in the competition.

Reacted to the bad start

Aris fell behind 8-0 in the first minutes, but managed to react immediately. With Mokoka, Robinson-Earl, and Morgan providing solutions, the "yellow-blacks" turned the situation around and finished the first quarter ahead 19-18.

The picture got even better in the second quarter. Morgan and Dimitrijevic took offensive initiatives, with the lead reaching up to eight points and Aris going to the locker room with a 40-35 advantage.

Setbacks changed the game

Hapoel returned from halftime with greater intensity and ran a 14-0 streak, turning 35-42 into 49-42. Aris did not give up the fight and came close again by one point, with the third quarter ending at 57-56.

Problems, however, accumulated. Vassilis Toliopoulos did not play due to hamstring discomfort, Matt Morgan left injured, and Nenad Dimitrijevic was ejected in the third quarter. At the same time, Mitrou-Long and Liddell accumulated five fouls.

Despite significant losses, Aris continued to contend for the win. They led 60-58 at the start of the last quarter and remained close until 75-71. In the last minute and a half, however, they ran out of solutions and Hapoel reached the final 84-73.

The top performer for the Thessalonians was Liddell with 12 points and eight rebounds. The quarter scores were 18-19, 35-40, 57-56, and 84-73.

At 5-1 and in second place

Aris dropped to 5-1 and is in second place in the first group, behind undefeated Hapoel Jerusalem, which has a 6-0 record.

The 11-point difference also becomes important in the battle for first place. The "yellow-blacks" will need a win by at least 12 points in the return leg at "Nick Galis Hall", if the two teams are tied at the end of the regular season.

Doxa Lefkadas follows

Aris now turns its attention to the Stoiximan GBL. On Saturday (07/11, 15:00) they face Doxa Lefkadas away for the 6th matchday, seeking an immediate return to victories.

The next European commitment is scheduled for Wednesday (11/11, 20:00), when they will host Riga Zeli at "Nick Galis Hall" for the 7th matchday of the EuroCup.