Asvel gleaned its second away victory of the season in the Euroleague, and the second in a row, on Friday against the Lithuanians of Zalgiris Kaunas (78-72), confirming its good health at the end of the year. Winners Tuesday in Belgrade of Partizan (82-79) after having put an end to the invincibility of Paris (98-93), the Villeurbannais even signed a third consecutive success for the first time in two years, a series which allows them all the hopes for the second half of the season.
They are provisionally clinging to a victory in 10th place, the last qualifier for the play-ins, after this eighth victory (in 17 days). That's only one less than last season as a whole and as many as during the 2022-2023 financial year. Asvel, however, presented itself strongly diminished in Lithuania, with only nine players able to play on the match sheet and deprived in particular of Joffrey Lauvergne and Mbaye Ndiaye.
But she won without really trembling, having a 10-point lead at the end of the second quarter (43-33, 18th), before taking off again in the final period thanks to outside arrows fired by Nando De Colo (62-55, 32nd then 65-58, 33rd) and Théo Maledon (74-66, 36th). Maledon, still very prominent (17 pts and 6 assists), increased the lead to 10 units 1 min 45 sec from the end by succeeding in his two free throws (78-68), before an offensive foul by Sylvain Francisco (22 pts) 45 seconds from the buzzer put an end to Zalgiris' hopes of victory.
