Greek Basketball Cup 2022: Schedule, teams, and a format change after 18 years / News - Basketnews.com

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All around Europe, it's the time for a little break in the domestic leagues, which will be filled by the local cups and the Greek Cup is no exception.

2-pointers this season

48%18,3Points made:18,3Accuracy:48,1%Place in standings:16Record max:28Record min:12Most made 2FGs:Dwayne BaconTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

In just a few days, teams will fight for the first domestic title of the season. The tension and the excitement that the domestic cups generate are something that can't usually be found during the regular season of the local leagues.

If you're missing some info or details about these competitions, there's no need to worry because we've got you covered.

In this article, we will focus on the Greek Cup, which returns to Final Four mode after 18 years. The final phase of the competition will be held in Heraclion, Crete, from February 18 to February 20.

Format & Teams

For 10 years (1994-2004), the final phase was held in a Final Four format, which also included a 3rd place game between the losing teams of the two semifinals. That game will not take place in the event's revival in 2022.

Teams

Panathinaikos OPAP Athens Olympiacos Piraeus AEK Athens Promitheas Patras

The format is as simple as it could get. Two semifinal games will be played in which the final's participants will be determined.

Schedule

Semifinals

February 18: Panathinaikos OPAP Athens vs Promitheas Patras (85-68) February 18: AEK Athens vs Olympiacos Piraeus (76-70)

Final

February 20: Panathinaikos OPAP Athens vs Olympiacos Piraeus 16:00 CET

Talking points

PanathinaikosPanathinaikos are by far the winningest team in the Greek Cup's history, as they have been Cup holders for 20 times. Since 2003, the Greens have lifted 14 out of 19 trophies. They failed to make it to the final game on just three occasions: 2004, 2018, and 2020. They're also the reigning Cup holders.

Dimitris Priftis is expected to have a full roster in Crete, with the only exception possibly being Ioannis Papapetrou. The Greek forward underwent surgery to cure sinusitis on 31 January, and even if he makes it to Heraclion, it's uncertain whether he will be ready to play.

Credit Vangelis Stolis OlympiacosThe last time Olympiacos, 9-time Cup winners, won the trophy was in 2011 when the late Dusan Ivkovic was sitting on the bench.

Olympiacos Piraeus / Schedule

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The Reds hadn't won any titles at the domestic level since 2016 when they downed Panathinaikos 3-1 in the Greek League finals, which means that they will travel to Crete to end that five-year drought.

Credit Olympiacos BC On 13 February 2019, the club's presidents Panagiotis and Giorgos Angelopoulos asked the squad (then coached by David Blatt) to forfeit the Greek Cup semifinal against PAO at OAKA.

The score at half-time was 40-25 for the hosts, and Olympiacos's management decided that they would only play their rivals with non-Greek referees officiating the contests.

Their request was not granted by the Greek Federation and the Greek League, which essentially led to Olympiacos getting self-relegated to the second division. This season, the squad seems to be back in EuroLeague playoff contention and also capable of winning both domestic titles in Greece. In case both Greek powerhouses make it to the final, it will be their 10th clash overall in the competition's title game. The Greens have prevailed over their rivals in 7 out of 9 contests, including the last two final games disputed by both teams in 2012 and 2013.

AEKAEK Athens are going through the most tumultuous season in their recent history. Stevan Jelovac's death has left an indelible mark on everyone, Braian Angola is still out with myocarditis as a post-COVID complication, while guards Nikos Pappas and Antonis Koniaris are still recovering from injuries.

Andy Rautins is dealing with COVID, but he's expected to make the Final Four. So is Keith Langford, who has come to an agreement with the team and will make his second debut with AEK in Crete.

The 38-year-old scoring ace had been in talks with some teams since last summer, but - as in Rautins's case- the fact that his clearance was still in Greece made things easier for AEK to reclaim him, right after his two-year (2019-2021) stint with them.

Credit AEK BC AEK won the Cup against all odds vs. Olympiacos in Heraclion in 2018 and then again vs. Promitheas in 2020 at the same gym. They have won the trophy 5 times altogether.

PromitheasPromitheas Patras have always been the bridesmaid, never the bride. The up-and-coming team from the Peloponnese, who made the EuroCup quarter-finals in 2020 before the season was cut short, have lost two consecutive Cup finals to AEK and Panathinaikos.

This season, first under the guidance of Spaniard Luis Casimiro and currently with Greek coach Ilias Zouros calling the plays, they have mostly underperformed. However, even with a limited rotation, the team previously owned by current Federation president Vangelis Liolios can do some serious damage if taken lightly.

Credit Imago-Scanpix Last Friday, Promitheas Patras announced four COVID cases, which led to the suspension of their Greek League game against PAOK. If more cases don't occur in the days leading up to the event, the most successful provincial Greek team in recent times is expected to have a full roster.

The venue

The gym called "Dyo Aorakia" took its name from the two hills circling the area of Nea Alikarnassos, where the installation is located.

In the place where Crete's biggest indoor hall was officially inaugurated in 2007, an historical - albeit quite unpleasant - event had taken place 35 years earlier.

On August 25, 1972, the last-to-date execution of a death convict in Greece was carried out between those two hills. 27-year-old Vassilis Lymperis was sentenced four times to death by firing squad for setting his wife, mother-in-law, and two young children on fire in January that same year. Starting from 2010, when the Greek All-Star Game was hosted, the gym has been the seat for many events, including four Greek Cup finals (2014, 2018, 2019, 2020). It has a capacity for 5.200 spectators, but it will be less than 40% full in the two Greek Cup game days.

Credit Municipality of Heraclion The Hellenic Basketball Federation was granted a special permit for the event to be held in front of up to 2.000 spectators instead of the 500 who were initially allowed admittance. This development could pave the way for the Greek government to gradually ease the measures imposed on indoor arenas and outdoor stadiums, which currently allow only 10% or up to 1.000 people into the installations.Tickets will be made available to local residents by the Federation on an individual basis to avoid any possibility of fans traveling to Crete from Athens or other parts of the country. Moreover, according to the revised Health Protocol, games will go ahead as scheduled regardless of the number of COVID cases on a team.

Throwback to last year

In last year's final, Panathinaikos beat Promitheas 91-79 as Ioannis Papapetrou was named the MVP of the tournament. Like what we are doing? Support us by becoming BN+ member.