Paris in the final to make history

Published on June 4, 2024

Paris Basketball has qualified for the Betclic Elite Playoffs Finals, winning in the money time in an overexcited adidas arena (98-92)! Paris Basketball meet Monaco tomorrow in the first game of the Finals!

Irrational, irrespirable, unbelievable… 8,000 people stand up as one after Nadir Hifi’s three-pointer from another galaxy sends us into the Final! The pressure was off, and there was immense joy for the fans of the Parisian club, and above all for the players, who had played an EIGHTH match since May 15!

All in all, the club is doing nothing like the others: it’s a year of firsts. First trophy (two), first playoff campaign, first French all-time record for consecutive wins, and now first championship final!

The match was of the highest quality for both ASVEL and Paris. The Parisians mastered the first quarter, led by an EXCELLENT TJ Shorts II, who was once again huge from start to finish. And it was clearly the first quarter that gave Tuomas Iisalo’s men a very positive momentum. But ASVEL is still ASVEL, and as we’ve seen in the previous 4 games, Pierric Poupet’s men have plenty of resources and, above all, Euroleague experience to draw on.

A second half under pressure

The gap was more or less the same at the end of the half. ASVEL’s strengths are well known: danger can come from anywhere. And when you look at Lyon’s stat sheet at the end of the game, it’s all confirmed, with 6 players scoring 11 points or more. Despite an incredible outpouring of energy from the Parisians, ASVEL managed to close the gap and even take the lead with 1’58 to go, sending the adidas arena into raptures of a daydream ending. But at that moment, our two point guards, our two CRACKS, decided to come out of their box and explode the adidas arena!

The TJ and Nadir Show

1’58 to play. Ballon Paris. Mr. Responsibility, MVP, TJ Shorts, decides to take the game by himself, just like in overtime two days ago. Acceleration against De Colo and a very difficult lay-up against the lanky Mbaye Ndiaye. +2. Behind, ASVEL fails to score. TJ Shorts brings the ball up, one-one again against De Colo, drive at the top of the racket, pull-up, the arm is hit! AND ONE. The adidas arena melts under the chants of “MVP” The free throw is successful. One more stop and the match is over. But in great stories, you need something insane. Something we can talk about for days. An anthology shot to leave a lasting impression. Paris recovers the ball, Jantunen passes it to Nadir. Side step 3-pointer, shot at the end of the 24 seconds… A little silence while the ball is in the air, with the impression that time stops at that moment: FILOCHE!

Paris is in the final. The rest is history.

First match tomorrow in Monaco, the second on Thursday and the third in Paris!

You can already get your tickets for this historic match: https://tinyurl.com/3kabymh6