PAOK’s preparation and the battle for a place in the FIBA Europe Cup semifinals

PAOK BC took the first step toward qualifying for the semifinals of the FIBA Europe Cup after defeating Peristeri BC 101–77 last Wednesday at the PAOK Sports Arena.
The 24-point margin gives PAOK a strong advantage ahead of the second leg, but nothing has been decided yet. With this mindset, head coach Pantelis Boutsos and his staff are preparing the team to be ready for every challenge that may arise on the road to qualification, fully aware that Peristeri is a very competitive opponent, as demonstrated by its performances and results in both Greek and European competitions.
PAOK will complete its preparation in Thessaloniki with a final practice session at PAOK Sports Arena on Tuesday afternoon, before the team travels to Athens.
On Wednesday, PAOK will hold a shootaround at the Andreas Papandreou Indoor Hall, the venue where the second game between the two teams will take place later that evening (19:30).
Qualification scenarios
After securing a 24-point victory in the first game, PAOK will also aim for a win in Peristeri. However, the team will advance to the semifinals even with a loss of up to 23 points, as well as with a draw.
Under the competition format, a game may end without a winner, as happened last season in the first leg of the quarterfinals of the FIBA Europe Cup against Fribourg Olympic in Switzerland.
If PAOK advances, it will face the winner of the matchup between UCAM Murcia and Pallacanestro Reggiana. The Spanish side holds a slight advantage after winning 85–84 in Italy, but the one-point margin leaves everything open ahead of the second game.
The reigning champions Surne Bilbao Basket made the most significant step toward qualification with a 77–69 road victory against Petkim Spor in Turkey and will look to confirm their superiority in the return game at the Bilbao Arena on Wednesday.
At the same time, the Basque side will be waiting for the winner of the tie between Falco KC Szombathely and KK Bosna. The Hungarian team won the first game 81–66 and will try to defend its 15-point lead in the second leg in Sarajevo.