French Basketball is buoyed by tremendous momentum in the EuroLeague at the end of 2024. If Paris Basketball continues to string together victories, with a 9th against Maccabi Tel-Aviv, it is ASVEL which is under the spotlight this Tuesday, December 3. At the Arena de Décines, Villeurbanne enjoyed a superb evening against Real Madrid, concluded fantastically with a floater at the buzzer from Paris Lee (80-78).
Paris Lee's floater, Roberson's counter: what a scenario at the LDLC Arena!
Winner of Anadolu Efes on the previous day, ASVEL followed up for the first time this season with another success in the EuroLeague, against Real Madrid. And it's a crazy scenario that Pierric Poupet and his players have in store for the nearly 9,000 spectators at the LDLC Arena. With less than 2 seconds left, Paris Lee (13 points) managed to make the LDLC Arena explode with happiness by managing to sneak past the baseline to slip in a subtle floater synonymous with victory (80-78).
This liberating action of the Cameroonian-American leader was enabled by his compatriot Andre Roberson (8 points and 7 rebounds), at the origin of a slightly more contentious action. On the previous possession, at 78 all, the former Choletais countered a lay-up from Facundo Campazzo at the extreme limit of touching the board and therefore being granted. Regardless, the counter was validated by the referees, allowing Paris Lee to add one more clutch shot to her record. And it's up to Andre Roberson to add one more line to his CV to convince ASVEL to extend it.
First victory against Real Madrid since… 2003!
A well-deserved victory for ASVEL, which for a while dominated Real Madrid. After a dream first half (more than 60% skill), the Rhone club logically took the lead (51-43). But caught cold upon returning from the locker room, Villeurbanne conceded a series of 6-26 in the 3rd quarter, which we thought would be prohibitive in the prospect of success. This was without counting on the strength of character of the Lyonnais who, supported by a Theo Maledon (23 points including 13 in the 4th quarter) always as good on the European scene, remained in the Madrid basques throughout the 4th quarter… Before passing them in front at the best of times, at the buzzer!
Certainly, Real Madrid are only a shadow of themselves this season. Out of the top 8 in the EuroLeague, already defeated 3 times (out of 9 matches) in Liga ACB, the Merengue club is experiencing a complicated start to the season since the departure of all of its French players this summer. But ASVEL confirms that, even if it does not have the most talented squad in the EuroLeague, it is ready to fight to pocket all the victories within its reach. Especially since she had been waiting for 21 years for success against the club from the Spanish capital. So this one in particular is to be savored…
