Tyree Scores 28 as PAOK Hold Off AEK 65-62 to Stay Perfect

By Taki Panos

Some games are pretty and some games are won. PAOK's Saturday night against AEK at Pylaia was firmly the second kind. Breein Tyree scored 28 points and kept answering every AEK run as PAOK beat AEK 65-62 at the PAOK Sports Arena in the fourth round of the Greek Basket League on October 24, 2026, as Onsports and Real.gr reported. The win kept PAOK perfect at 4-0 and on top of the table.

A bit of context for anyone new to this matchup. Both clubs carry a double-headed eagle on their crest, which is why Greek media call it the derby of the Double-Headed Eagles. PAOK, coached by Andrea Trinchieri, came in on a roll after Cedi Osman scored 37 in a comeback win at Kolossos Rhodes a week earlier. AEK arrived at 2-1, fresh from a late win over Mykonos in round three.

The start belonged to the hosts. After an even opening three minutes at 7-7, PAOK pressed hard in defense and Tyree found ways to score, and the lead reached 17-11 in the seventh minute, per Real.gr. PAOK took a 20-15 lead after the first quarter, a score confirmed by Ta Nea, Onsports and Real.gr. At that point it looked like a normal night in Thessaloniki. It was not going to stay that way.

The second quarter was rough for PAOK. AEK went on a 7-0 run with Brown and Lekavicius doing the damage to lead 22-20 in the 14th minute, and Bartley's late points pushed the visitors to a 29-25 halftime lead, Real.gr and Ta Nea reported. PAOK scored just five points in the whole quarter. For a team that had looked so dangerous on offense a week earlier, that was a strange sight.

Trinchieri did not hide from it afterward. Speaking at his press conference, he said his team played a second quarter that he believes children under 18 should not be allowed to watch on television, adding that parents would send them to another room and let them come back for the second half, as ERT Sports reported (translated from Greek). Coaches rarely describe their own team's offense that way. Honest, at least, and easier to say after a win.

PAOK came out of the locker room with more energy. Foster, Alexander and Bazinas led a 10-4 burst that put PAOK back in front at 35-33 in the 24th minute, according to Real.gr, and Ta Nea noted that a Gray three had already flipped the lead at 32-31. AEK's Joseph tied it at 35-35, but PAOK answered with a 6-0 run and carried a 47-44 lead into the final quarter.

Then Tyree took over. He scored five straight points early in the fourth quarter to make it 52-46, and another 5-0 run pushed the lead into double figures for the first time at 57-46 in the 34th minute, Onsports reported. Osman also gave PAOK important help in that stretch, per Ta Nea. With six minutes left, it looked over.

AEK did not go quietly. Brown took it personally, with two dunks and a three according to Real.gr, and cut the gap to 57-53. Tyree hit back to make it 62-53. AEK then got back-to-back threes from Katsivelis and Bartley to get within 62-59 with about a minute left, Onsports and Ta Nea reported. Nine-point leads have vanished faster than that.

Tyree had one more answer. Onsports reported that he scored another key basket 43 seconds from the end, and PAOK managed the final seconds to close out the 65-62 win. Tyree finished with 28 points, shooting 4 of 8 from three and 4 of 5 from the free throw line, with 2 rebounds and 2 steals, per Real.gr. Joseph led AEK with 16 points and 8 rebounds, Brown added 13 and Bartley 12.

The numbers tell an odd story. AEK actually shot better from the field, 44 percent against PAOK's 34 percent, Onsports noted, but PAOK grabbed 13 offensive rebounds and got to the free throw line more often. In a game with this little rhythm, those extra chances made the difference. Trinchieri summed it up bluntly to ERT Sports: "This is a good win. Why? Because it was a very hard game, with a lot of physical contact" (translated from Greek).

Elsewhere in round four, Panathinaikos needed a strong fourth quarter to beat Karditsa 78-64, with Yabusele scoring 22 points and grabbing 8 rebounds, per Filathlos. Aris won 88-72 at Mykonos, Peristeri edged Maroussi 83-81 and Doxa Lefkadas came back to beat Iraklis 94-86 in overtime, Gazzetta and Ta Nea reported. Gazzetta's table has PAOK first with 8 points from a 4-0 record, Aris and Peristeri on 7, and AEK at 2-2.

My take: this was not a game anyone will put on a highlight reel, apart from Tyree's fourth quarter. But a team that can win on a night when its offense goes missing is a dangerous team, and PAOK showed real toughness at both ends. For AEK, losing by three away at Pylaia is no disaster. The worry is how quickly PAOK pulled away early in the fourth quarter, which gave the hosts the cushion they needed.

These two clubs meet again on Wednesday, this time in football, when AEK visit Toumba to face PAOK in the Greek Cup. On the court, PAOK visit Iraklis on Saturday, October 31, while AEK travel to Vikos the same day, per Gazzetta. Keep an eye on our Greek Sports section for every Greek result from around the world. Ugly? Sure. Still 4-0.

Sources: Onsports, Real.gr, Ta Nea, ERT Sports, Gazzetta, Filathlos.

Image: White and black flag with a double-headed eagle in PAOK colors by Sportingn, cropped, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).