Paris falls short at the adidas Arena

Published on March 19, 2026

Leading at the end of the first quarter, Paris Basketball was unable to overcome Partizan Belgrade on Thursday night in the final game of the 32nd round of the EuroLeague (81-90).

Electric! Whether in the stands or on the court, the atmosphere is electric! Everyone is wary of each other, sizing each other up during the opening plays. The box score is taking shape in the paint, where elbows are flying. Points are being scraped together with floaters, mid-range shots, and physical drives to the basket. There’s no room for three-pointers in the first five minutes. And when nothing’s falling from long range, Paris can count on its go-to shooter: JMO! It goes in once, then twice thanks to Yak, then three times with Nadir. Our Parisians have decided to let loose! They even force a timeout on the opposing side following yet another dunk by Jared (20-12). Facing boos from the visiting fans, Paris Basketball is merciless! Our rebounding strength eventually starts to falter, though. Continuing their momentum from the end of the 1st quarter, the Serbs take the lead early in the 2nd quarter. Too bad for them that Nadir decides to take matters into his own hands. Well supported by Momo with his elastic arms, the Prince of Paris proved to be a formidable force on offense. The two teams traded leads. Paris took the lead, Belgrade responded, the Yak combined a dunk and an and-one… but with two final bursts of energy, our opponents won the first half by a hair (43-46).

Allan has no time to waste. Our center comes out strong, scoring Paris’s first 7 points of the second quarter. He mixes it up with a jump shot, a “and-one,” and a layup. The game remains as tight as ever, with the score hanging by a thread. Never more than two possessions separate these national champions. When Jared isn’t punishing Partizan from behind the arc, Amath unleashes his signature fadeaway. From the first to the third quarter, one thing remains constant: the battle rages in the paint. Already suffocated on the back lines, the entire team has to contend with Momo Faye and Jekiri near the rim. The gap widened against us as the fourth quarter began (57-66). A small cushion that Paris Basketball struggled to close. It was tough to break through that black-and-white wall. But a wave of hope swept through the stands of the adidas Arena once again when Lamar sank his shot from deep (72-79). Especially since Belgrade was turning the ball over time and again. It was a shame the opportunities didn’t immediately find the basket, as Allan went into frenzied mode on the boards. This strong run by the visitors, capped off by a corner shot from Isaac Bonga, gave them a decisive lead during crunch time. Partizan won 81-90.

Our strong start didn’t last. Belgrade, playing with more consistency, managed to build up a substantial lead that allowed them to hold off Paris’s late comeback.

Paris Basketball will wrap up the month of March with a league classic this Sunday against JL Bourg. The few remaining tickets are available via this link. We hope to see many of you there!