Betclic Elite: Wembanyama and the Mets take a serious option

2023-05-30 23:00:51

Atmosphere, dunks galore and an unbearable suspense. The 15,000 spectators at the Accor Arena, standing and in a trance for the last two minutes, went through all the emotions on Tuesday evening during the second round of the Betclic Elite semi-finals between the Mets of their idol Victor Wembanyama and Asvel, triple defending champion. An unbearable final before a monumental explosion of joy caused by a 3-point shot from Barry Brown at the last second (86-83).

“My coach and my partners wanted me to take this last shot. That’s what I did and I have to thank God, says the hero of the evening at the microphone of BeIN Sports. It’s a playoff match, there are ups and downs against a good team with very good players. It’s super hard. It’s going to be a fight there”

Two days after a first round won in one breath (75-69), in Levallois, the Metropolitans experienced all the trouble in the world to get rid of a tough opponent who was determined to retain his title. But the main thing is there. With this new success, which allows them to have two warm victories in their safe, they can tackle the rest of the events and the trip to the Rhône with more serenity.

A victory on the parquet floor of Villeurbanne would allow them to win their sesame for the final of the championship. A first for an Ile-de-France club since the incredible epic of Nanterre (future winner) in 2013, 10 years ago. They will have two possibilities to achieve this: Friday during match 3 and then possibly Sunday. Thanks to their two successes at home, they above all have a joker in their game which allows them to be able to return to Levallois to play a 5th crucial match, if necessary, on Wednesday June 7. The Ile-de-France public is therefore guaranteed to see Wemby back at home before the “alien” flies off to the NBA. Either for this crucial duel or for the finals.

Barry Brown, un joker de luxe

Present in the Paris arena to see the giant of French basketball in his works, the TV host Camille Combal or the international footballer Jules Koundé enjoyed the show. “He (Wembanyama) exudes a lot of ease, he talks a lot, we feel that he is a leader despite his youth”, confides Jules Koundé, the defender of the Blues and Barcelona, ​​at the microphone of BeIN Sports.

After having mastered the debates and counted up to 16 lengths in advance (64-48, 28th), the partners of Lahaou Konaté (the other big guy on the side of the Mets) however had some scares in the last moments. Although deprived of their master to play and metronome Nando De Colo (calf, still uncertain for Friday), Asvel grabbed their handicap in the last quarter and returned to equality at 12 seconds from the buzzer on a 3-pointer from Dee Bost (83-83).

It was at this point that Barry Brown, arriving at Boulogne-Levallois late following the departure of Tremont Waters, came out of his box to give his team a definitive advantage. And cause a tsunami of happiness. Dee Bost will see his shot from midfield at the last second miss the basket. The Mets can exult and invade the field to hug and dance.

Victor Wembanyama was “satisfied” with 13 points and 10 rebounds (and 5 stray bullets) but that was not the important thing. He is still in the race to win the title of champion of France. Its stated objective is to conquer the new world.