Shorts like a grown-up, the Parisians are losing track… Favorites and scratches

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Shorts, like a big one

From the height of his 75 meter height, TJ Shorts looked like a giant on Friday, during the 77-80 defeat of “his” Paris Basketball against Etoile Rouge. This is also the term used by his trainer, Tiago Splitter, to describe him. The question related to his minor injury and his return to the locker room: “He’s a warrior, he’s a giant. He had a little problem but he came back“. And he almost allowed the Parisians to make the decision. In any case, it was he who brought his team back to -3 at the start of the last minute, before… a missed pass which sealed some of the Parisian hopes. Still, the MVP of the 2023 Champions League, then MVP of the 2024 Eurocup, has demonstrated that he has his place at the big table, in the Euroleague. 16 points at 6/11, 3 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 interceptions.

Also readBasketball: for its big debut in the Euroleague, Paris Basketball lost to the wire… in Belgrade-sur-Seine

Flawless off the court

It was the big night. Winner of the Eurocup in 2024, Paris Basketball has won the right to compete in the Euroleague, “the best league outside of the NBA, and on some nights, maybe even better», as David Kahn told us before the meeting. “It’s a very special moment. We are all very proud“, he added, evoking a level of excitement at “11 out of 10“. And this big evening went off without a hitch for the young Parisian club, created in 2018. New store at the Adidas Arena, new logo, new women’s team… Everything is happening very quickly. But Paris Basketball makes a point of taking care of “the experience» of those who come to see their matches. Mapping on the boards before the match, the banners to celebrate the Eurocup and Leaders Cup titles, concert after the game… No false note. And big atmosphere too. But it wasn’t just thanks to the Parisians…

Nedovic almost perfect

No Milos Teodosic to grace the Adidas Arena with his magic tricks. No matter, Red Star benefited from the boost from another Serbian international, Nemanja Nedovic. At 33, he pulled out all the stops coming off the bench, fueling his team’s comeback in the second half. 21 points at 5/6 beyond the arc of the circle. Add to that a 2/2 at two points and also a flawless throw (2/2), and it’s an almost perfect evening.

CLAW STRIKES

Serbian supporters (a little too much) feel at home

It is important to note that the Parisian supporters made their voices heard throughout the meeting. We can’t blame them for anything. “We are very proud of our supporters, they are incredible”traffic Nadir Hifi. Serbian fans, however, came in numbers. There were the 500 official supporters, but also all the others. Unequal struggle. An away match? “I wouldn’t go so far as to say we felt like we were on the outside. Personally, I was in my match, in my little bubble”still slips the international tricolor. Still, the said Serbian fans, beyond their chants, spent their time insulting, giving the finger, smoking, vaping and finally throwing cups towards the floor. There was no major outburst, it just wasn’t very elegant in the stand reserved for them.

Paris suffers a breakdown

«We have the level for the Euroleague», promises Nadir Hifi. And Paris Basketball showed it by leading by 13 points at the start of the second half. Before the breakdown. Offensively, the Parisian ship was derailed. Defensively, Coach Splitter’s players were unable to stem Nedovic’s fever. Above all, the Parisians caught the tide of rebounds (29-43). Difficult to exist in these conditions, even if you only lose four small balloons. “We made a lot of stops but we could have benefited from them with more bounces. We must do better collectively. But we made other mistakes, in defense, match-ups… We need to review the images and talk to the guys to progress», indicated Tiago Splitter, who was also officiating for the first time as number 1 coach on a bench. Next meeting in the Euroleague? Friday October 11 on the boards of Milan, before the reception of Pana.

Also read“I live for these moments”: Nadir Hifi “retains the positive” despite the defeat of Paris Basketball in the Euroleague

Clumsy hi-fi

There are evenings like that… Of course, Hifi brought the Adidas Arena to its feet with a shot that he had the secret to in the second half, to give the reins back to his team. You are looking for a show player, Hifi is there. The French rear, however, was upset with his skill in this meeting: 12 points to his credit, with a small 4/13 on shots. This is obviously not enough. Don’t worry, the shots will go in next time. Or the next one.

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