Paris Basketball, A Matter of a Hair’s Breadth

Published on October 7, 2026

Despite a record low, Paris Basketball narrowly missed out on victory in the derby against ASVEL on Wednesday evening in the third round of the EuroLeague (96–98).

The half-time break had only just ended when the Prince of Paris immediately switched into derby mode. First, he scored from distance near the corner. Lay-ups and steals followed one after the other. All the electricity emanating from the adidas Arena swept through our players on both sides of the court. From Seba’s three-pointer to Alize’s powerful ‘and-one’, the opening minutes went largely in our favour. Known for their strong starts, our team once again built up a significant lead. The scenarios seen against Partizan and Kaunas were repeating themselves! As the game progressed, the Villeurbanne side rediscovered their usual attacking form. Paris then demonstrated their efficiency to the full, dug deep and held off the opposition’s attempt at a comeback. Following yet another steal by Joël, Maxime Lefèvre’s men built up a comfortable lead by the end of the first quarter (21–14). Mirroring the atmosphere created by our supporters, Paris Basketball didn’t let up in the second quarter. But spurred on by their NBA-born duo, Mills and Crowder, the visitors closed the gap dangerously on the scoreboard. In the midst of a quarter characterised by high shooting percentages from beyond the arc, our Parisians halted this momentum with long-range shots from Tyson and Seba. However, this was not enough to keep us in the lead (43–46).

Like a sniper, TJ kicked off our second quarter with a lightning-fast three-pointer from 0°. Already on more than 20 points, Nadir took the opportunity to sink a long-range shot, score from the mid-range and make a steal. Still as clinical from behind the arc as ever, both Paris and ASVEL engage in a head-to-head battle. With the adidas Arena in full swing, the game rages on. Then Tyson catches fire! The play is executed flawlessly: our big men set screens to free our number 9 from his marker. Once set up, Tyson does what he does best with a catch-and-shoot. With a clear head, Tony Parker’s side turn to free throws to stay ahead. At least, until Joël sinks a buzzer-beater from the logo. Our Parisians regain the lead as the final sprint begins (77–74)! From now on, it’s the visitors’ turn to chase the score. It’s a tight one… It’s a tight game! Since coming back from the break, never more than two possessions have separated these heavyweights of French basketball. From the free-throw line, Nadir breaks his personal record for points in a EuroLeague match. But with a decisive late surge, Villeurbanne narrowly win the derby (96–98).

This top-of-the-table clash certainly lived up to expectations. Paris Basketball took an early lead and responded well to the comeback. Although they led throughout the final quarter, our Parisians let their lead slip right at the very end.

Paris Basketball shows no signs of slowing down! We look forward to seeing plenty of you this Sunday for our big clash against Strasbourg. Tickets are available right here.

Strasbourg

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