Trikala took a major step toward survival in the basketball A1 division with their home win over Aigaleo on Wednesday last week, while Rhodes side Kolossos edged closer to a spot in the playoffs.
In the midweek round of fixtures for the league, the penultimate round of the regular season, Trikala scored a crucial 73-61 win over fellow strugglers Aigaleo and are now level on points with the side from western Athens.
The Thessaly team are now for the first time after months outside the drop zone, that includes Aigaleo and relegated Larissa; Trikala have a better head-to head record with Aigaleo, who had beaten Trikala by seven points in Athens.
Kolossos Rhodes beat PAOK 70-62 at home and are close to finishing at the seventh spot which they now occupy. PAOK are ninth.
Leaders Olympiakos overcame the absence of forward Yiannis Bourousis to beat Panellinios 88-84 at Kypseli, despite trailing 42-38 at half time.
Panathinaikos, in second, had no problems at home against Enosi Kavalas, winning 96-69 despite the absence of several of their big names, including Dimitris Diamantidis and Costas Tsartsaris who will also miss the last round.
Panionios and Aris played the closest match of the day that was decided in overtime in favour of the hosts.
The regular 40 minutes found the two teams level at 77 points, but Panionios were clinical in overtime winning 89-85.
The two sides are bound to meet again in the first round of the playoffs, when the home side Aris, in third, will face Panionios, who finished sixth.
In the Larissa derby, Olympia defeated what is left of AEL 107-87 away, in what may well be the last game between the two sides before their likely merger this summer.
In the last game of the round Maroussi downed visiting AEK 86-81 and confirmed they will finish fourth in the league’s regular season. In the playoffs they will face Panellinios with home advantage.