To the outside world, Greek basketball is Panathinaikos, Olympiacos, Aris, PAOK and Panionios.

Maroussi Costa Coffee doesn't resonate with too many people.

But there was no better story in the month of May than Maroussi, a top flight team that plays in a small gym just five minutes by car from OAKA - the Olympic Sports arena in Athens and now the home of Panathinaikos.

For five games, this small club Maroussi pushed Olympiacos in the Greek play-off semi-finals before succumbing to a 3-2 series defeat.

Had Branko Milisavljevic's shot at the end of Game Five gone in and stayed in instead of rimming out, Maroussi would be playing Panathinaikos for the Greek title instead of the Reds.

As it was, Maroussi lost the decider 64-63.

"It was God's will," Milisavljevic said.

"But I am really very proud to be part of this team."

Maroussi proved a lot of people wrong this season.

In mid-season when they were in a very bad way, a lot of people, including some from the team itself, believed the club would be relegated.

Maroussi brought in a new coach, Soulis Markopoulos, and a couple of new players and things began to click.

By the end of the regular season, Maroussi had climbed into sixth place.

They then upset Aris 2-1 in a thrilling first-round play-off tie.

Against Olympiacos, who are led by the former Maroussi coach Panagiotis Yannakis, the Greek national team boss who guided Maroussi to a EuroCup final in 2004, they twice leveled the semi-final tie before suffering the 64-63 heartbreak.

Maroussi's young president, Aris Vovos, a man with movie star looks who races cars like Paul Newman once did, is happy just as his father, Babis, no doubt is.

Babis is a construction mogul whose company is one of the biggest in Greece. He has a big say when it comes to decisions about the team.

Aris Vovos spoke to the players after the Game Five defeat.

"You have proven that you have heart," he said.

"It makes me happy seeing you play basketball. I know that you are disappointed, but I am sure you are going to give us many, many happy moments in the future."

And that future is very bright.

The club is already busy putting together next year's team. Kostas Kaimakoglou, the team's 25-year-old forward, has already agreed on a two-year extension.

"It's an honour to play for this team," Kaimakoglou said.

"It's not easy to find in another team the conditions Maroussi is providing for its players."

Wait.

The season isn't over yet.

Vovos and his mother, as she is most of the time, will be courtside for the third place play-off series against Panionios.

Win, and Maroussi qualify for the Euroleague.

When Maroussi advanced to the semi-finals, Vovos gave the team 100,000 euros.

He promised 200,000 euros if they beat Olympiacos.

While they did not, he gave the team 50,000 euros and promised to give the other 150,000 if they finish third.

"We have a very strong motive getting to the games for the third place, because the Euroleague is hiding behind these games," said Maroussi's Travon Bryant.

"We know that Panionios is strong, but we have already proven what we can do.

"We have the character as a team to handle both wins and defeats.

"Panionios is the favorite of the series, but we are also there to fight."

Stay tuned.