Our young hopefuls defeated in the dying moments

That late comeback wasn’t enough… Paris Basketball’s Under-21s suffered an 80-90 defeat on the Rock at the end of the 29th round of the league.

Just two matches remain before the play-offs. Last week, a win against Chalon saw our young Parisians edge just ahead of Nanterre in the table. Back in the play-off places, Julien Mahé’s side travelled to face fourth-placed Monaco. It was a high-stakes clash, and our Espoirs got off to a flying start.

Facing a blistering start from the Monegasques, Paris closed the gap before taking the lead with a long-range shot from Dario Cokara (15-12). But our very aggressive backcourt struggled to contain the talent of the opposition’s backcourt. Trailing by just one possession at the end of the first quarter, our Parisians struggled throughout the second quarter. In the midst of this slump, our players nevertheless managed to stay in the game (40-51).

Bit by bit, Paris Basketball chipped away at Roca Team’s lead. First, our U20s narrowly won the third quarter (61–69). Then, after a lull, the storm broke! Unleashed, the teammates of Samuel Bringer – who had 26 points and 4 rebounds – made a thunderous start to the fourth quarter. A tremendous run culminated in a draw with 7 minutes to go before the final whistle (71-71). At home, however, Monaco held firm. Bolstered by a final burst of pace, the Monegasques ultimately came away with the victory (80-90). Once again, Paris showed that it could compete with the top teams in the Espoirs ÉLITE.

This defeat pushes us out of the Top 7 due to Nanterre’s victory over Gravelines-Dunkerque at the same time. Our Espoirs must win against ASVEL this Saturday at the adidas arena. If they succeed, Paris Basketball will take part in its very first Trophée du Futur. That is, provided Cholet also manage to beat Les Verts.