up against Lietuvos Rytas of the Baltic League (Lietuvos Rytas would be the team that would eventually go on to win the ULEB Cup championship) in a two-game series. Aris split the two games with Lietuvos rytas, but lost the series on the points aggregate differential of −2 points. That same season, Aris was also eliminated from the Greek League without taking home the national championship. The club was eliminated in a fashion that, was at the time, the worst possible scenario for both the team's players and fans, as Aris lost in the playoffs once again to AEK Athens. But what made the loss even more painful, was that AEK managed to secure the clinching series victory at Aris' home arena, the Alexandreio Melathron. 2005–06 season Aris finished the regular season of the Greek Basket League in 4th place, with a 15–11 win–loss record. Aris lost to Panathinikos during the play-off semifinals, and had to face Maroussi in a best-of-five series, for third place. With the series tied at 2–2, Aris went on to beat Maroussi, 59–63, in a dramatic game 5 in Athens. This earned Aris a return to the EuroLeague, after a 14-year absence, to the delight of its fans. Although Aris was eliminated from the Greek Cup, they managed to reach the ULEB Cup (now called EuroCup) final game, which was held at the Spiroudome in Charleroi, Belgium. Aris proceeded from the group phase to the Top 16 stage, where the team eliminated fellow Greek club Panionios, in a two-game series. Aris won the first game in the series, by a score of 72–70, in Athens. In the second game at Alexandreio, Aris defeated Panionios, 112–105, in double overtime. Aris then eliminated the French Pro A League club ASVEL, with two victories, by scores of 67–60 and 77–67. In the semifinals, Aris then faced Hemofarm, in a repeat of the semifinal of the 2003 Champion's Cup. Aris lost by a score of 74–71, in the game in Serbia, and needed a late victory in the game in Thessaloniki to make it to the final against Dynamo Moscow. On 11 April, Dynamo Moscow defeated Aris, 73–60, in the final, and won the ULEB Cup (EuroCup) championship. 2006–07 season Aris performed outstandingly during the 2006–07 season of the Greek Basket League, finishing the regular season in second place, with a 21–5 win–loss record. Although this gave Aris a