PAOK, with defense and Foster, wins 53-63 at Ivanofeio
PAOK defeated Iraklis 53-63 at Ivanofeio for the 5th matchday of the Stoiximan GBL and maintained their undefeated record in the championship.
The "black and whites" relied on their defense and Marcus Foster's solutions, achieving their fifth victory in as many games. The hosts dropped to 1-4, staying close in the score for three quarters, but failed to find the necessary offensive answers in the finale.
The course of the game
Iraklis started strong in their packed stadium and took a 15-11 lead, but PAOK reacted and closed the first quarter ahead 17-19. The visitors maintained control thereafter, reached 25-31, and went to the locker room with a three-point lead (31-34).
At the start of the second half, the "blue and whites" equalized at 36-36, but PAOK responded with an 8-0 run for 36-44. Iraklis narrowed the difference to five points at the end of the third quarter (42-47), keeping the fight for victory open.
In the last quarter, PAOK's defense made it even more difficult for the hosts, and the difference rose to double digits (44-55). Foster's three-pointer for 48-60, about two minutes before the end, put an end to Iraklis' hopes of a comeback, with the visitors reaching the final 53-63.
The protagonists
Marcus Foster was PAOK's top scorer with 17 points, while Cedi Osman added 12. For Iraklis, Jesse Leqieu scored 10 points and was the only player in double digits, with Sylla following with nine and Hudson with eight.
Quarter scores: 17-19, 31-34, 42-47, 53-63.