End of the line in Belgrade

Published on April 7, 2026

On Tuesday night, Red Star Belgrade ended Paris’s four-game winning streak (TCC) following our 81-94 road loss on Matchday 36 of the EuroLeague.

The electric atmosphere of the Stark Arena propels Red Star Belgrade. Ball in hand, the Serbs use their physicality to get closer to the basket or to the free-throw line. In addition to quickly exceeding the five-fouler limit, our Parisians struggle to get going offensively. The response is swift! Coming out of the first timeout, Julius Thomas introduces our second unit. This time, Paris adds finishing touches to their fast-paced ball-handling. Players like Lamar generate enough speed to literally force their way to the basket. Nadir adds a touch of flair to his dribbling and long-range shooting. More disciplined on defense, Paris Basketball is back in full force! Luckily for Belgrade, Codi Miller-McIntyre first, then Ognjen Dobric sink decisive three-pointers at the end of the first quarter (28-34). However, the numbers don’t reflect the momentum at all. And Paris Basketball showed it right from the start! Justin seamlessly took over from the Prince of Paris at point guard. Too quick, too unpredictable, he capitalized on his teammates’ well-timed movements to exploit the smallest openings. Our big men also raised their game on both ends of the court. Forced to stretch the floor, the home team took numerous long-range shots, not by choice, but out of necessity! They were now the ones committing fouls, with Amath showcasing his full range of skills. For the first time in the game, we took the lead (43-40)! Paris Basketball even extended it to a two-possession advantage before the Red and Whites, on a hot streak, turned the tide. Fortunately, our team remained focused and limited the damage with five seconds left in the half thanks to an effective jump shot by Nadir (54-57).

Although our Parisians aren’t scoring much at the start of the second half, they’re forcing the Serbs to do the same. Special mention goes to Justin, who sacrifices himself to draw two offensive fouls in quick succession. This dedication to the team gives Jared wings in every sense of the word. First, he soars to unleash a powerful dunk, then forces a timeout with a huge layup from the corner. This good run, however, precedes a strong Serbian period where they regain their composure in the paint. The points are flowing much less than in the first half, the pace slows down as Paris struggles to stay within 10 points (69-80). The battle for the boards continues to rage! Our players throw their last reserves of energy into the battle, although Red Star smothers any remaining Parisian sparks. In practice, the home team didn’t hesitate to send us to the free-throw line to prevent the game from getting out of hand. Belgrade controlled the end of the game, concluding with a score of 81-94.

During the second quarter, our Parisians struggled to impose their style, particularly in the second quarter. While our bursts of speed were effective, they were mostly isolated and lacked sustained momentum.

Paris Basketball looks forward to seeing you all for their return to the adidas Arena on Saturday, May 2nd against Chalon. To reserve your tickets, click here !