PN99 faced a strong challenge from P&P last night during the final quarter-final match. However, they ultimately confirmed their superiority, securing a win with a final score of 88-72 and earning a spot in the Cup’s Final Four, where they will now face ESOBGA. For P&P, who played without their key player, Costas Selitas, this was their last game of the season, which was marked by a very positive and respectable performance.
Despite the seemingly comfortable final score, PN99’s victory wasn’t easy. The flow of the game, especially in the first half, significantly raised the level of difficulty for the champions and aspiring “double” winners. After a powerful start in the first quarter, where PN99 took a commanding 27-18 lead and appeared set for another easy win, Pambos Papacharalambous’s team fought back.
With a 23-11 run in the second period, P&P not only erased PN99’s lead but also took the lead themselves, ending the first half with a three-point advantage (41-38). At the start of the second half, the home team extended their lead to +5 (46-41), but any hopes of a major upset ended there. PN99 responded immediately with a flurry of three-pointers from Konnafis and Prokopiou, quickly regaining control of the game. By the end of the third quarter, PN99 had turned their 5-point deficit into a 16-point lead (68-52), with the scales now clearly tipping in their favor.
In the final quarter, the lead reached +20 at one point, and since the outcome was no longer in doubt, both teams played at a more relaxed pace. The final score was 72-88. Yiannakis Prokopiou was once again the top performer for the winners with 26 points, with solid support from Konnafis and Petsas, who scored 15 and 12 points, respectively. For P&P, Chris O’Quinn and Panagiotis Koutousis had great games with 27 and 25 points, respectively, followed by Hadjidemetriou with 11.
