Paris is there!

Published on November 23, 2023

Paris Basketball had always lost its opening game in Betclic Elite: a streak now broken thanks to a high-energy victory over JDA Dijon (81-64) at Carpentier on Sunday!

Our Parisians put in the intensity expected

As the Dijon coach himself pointed out after the game, it was the intensity of the Parisian game that left its mark on this reunion Sunday with Carpentier, four months after Paris Basketball’s last official game. “Well done Paris Basketball, the game went one way, their way,” admitted Nenad Markovic, in a fine tribute to the domination of the players from the capital. “They act fast, with good ball movement, and they’re exhausting defensively. Paris’ game is the quintessence of modern basketball…”

In terms of stats, the Francilians were not idle on either side of the court! Offensively, 7 players scored more than 5 points, including TJ Shorts with 19 points and 70% shooting success. 18 points was Nadir Hifi’s fine contribution in his eagerly-awaited first game in a Paris shirt. Defensively, the 29 rebounds and 10 steals speak volumes about the quality of the Parisians’ performance against Dijon, Betclic ELITE finalists in 2021.

Avenues for improvement

Satisfied with his team’s performance, Tuomas Iisalo didn’t forget to point out the areas for improvement: “It’s an excellent result for us, which stems from the work we’ve done from the start of pre-season to today,” observed Paris Basketball’s new Finnish coach. We’re happy, but we know we still have room for improvement. We haven’t been perfect, but today’s game will give us extra motivation and they give us the path to follow towards our goals.”

Halle Carpentier heated to the max

Tuomas Iisalo reminded the press conference that the team’s 13th man, its fans, played a huge role in his side’s success. “We love this atmosphere,” the coach enthused. Before adding: “We love it when people support us fervently. With the game we want to set up, we hope to attract even more fans, that they identify with the club and are proud to support us.” It’s clearly off to a good start!

Can’t wait to see what happens next!

Our Parisians can now concentrate on their next Betclic ELITE fixtures:

next Saturday, 6.30pm, at Saint Quentin
Wednesday September 27, 9pm, at the Halle Carpentier, against Le Mans: tickets available HERE!

And let’s not forget a new EuroCup season starting on Tuesday October 3, again at Halle Carpentier, against the Lithuanian Wolves of Vilnius. Paris Basketball’s exciting 2023-2024 season is just beginning!