Paris reclaims its throne

Published on May 16, 2026

WE DID IT ! After a hard-fought victory on the final day of the championship against ASVEL (87-76), Paris Basketball finished 1st in the regular season in front of their home crowd!

Paris makes ASVEL run at the start of the game. No hesitation crosses our players’ minds: once they get the ball, they go forward to break through that white defense. Even more remarkable, our formation applies such intense off-ball pressure that Villeurbanne is constantly forced to switch the play to the half-court. But the real battle rages under the basket. Long-range attempts are mostly replaced by gap shots or long drives, especially during the second half of the first quarter. Then, in the midst of all this, Amath teaches his defender the salsa before sinking a big three-pointer. This mix makes for a pretty fierce contest where the defenses dominate the offenses. In this back-and-forth, Paris Basketball comes out on top in the first 10 minutes (15-10). However, the subsequent timeout goes in Villeurbanne’s favor. A series of drives by Nadir, followed by some big three-pointers from Yak and Jared, allowed us to limit the damage. The visitors managed to maintain a two-three possession lead until halftime (39-44).

The pattern repeated itself after halftime. Aggressive Parisians managed to penetrate the perimeter. They finished near the basket, used their shoulders, or even dunked from the free-throw line. Then, with a three-pointer or even a dunk, ASVEL maintained their initial lead. Our increased rebounding, however, gave the visitors fewer opportunities. Now, they only had one chance per possession to score, unlike in the first half. So, naturally, our defensive stops multiplied. Meanwhile, Julius Thomas’s men didn’t slow down with the ball in their hands. Shots poured in, as did fouls. Finally, following a huge sequence initiated by our Captain Seba, Paris Basketball took the lead for the first time in this second quarter (58-57). As the final sprint of the regular season approaches, our players are in the lead (62-60) while Monaco and Nanterre are trailing. Paris holds its destiny in its own hands!

However, the Villeurbanne team isn’t about to give up easily. The physical gap, already significant, widens even further. Every possession becomes the result of a fierce battle. Paris and ASVEL trade blows play after play. The tension is palpable, even though our players can count on the support of a roaring adidas Arena crowd. Lightning strikes the visitors when the Prince of Paris decides to unleash a flurry of counter-attacks. Reaching crunch time, our Parisians get a brief respite (78-74), which they transform into a veritable tornado. With a barrage of and-ones and blocks, our team stuns opponents who are losing momentum (87-76).

Today our players didn’t just triumph. No, they snatched first place in Betclic ÉLITE right at the very end. Just like last year, the City of Lights finishes the regular season at the top of France. A considerable advantage for the playoffs. We’ll see you on

Tuesday, May 26th for our first LNB Quarter-Final match. Reserve your seat now by clicking right here.