Basketball Paris-Real Madrid (85-96): the overly diminished Parisians suffer Real’s law in the Euroleague

This time the pace was high, the duel too unbalanced. Despite the permanent madness and a red-hot Adidas Arena (7,748 spectators), Paris Basketball lost (85-96) on Tuesday evening against Real Madrid in the 16th day of the Euroleague, the prestigious club basketball championship of the old continent.

A tempting clash of generations and worlds between one team, an early season phenomenon in an anarchic costume that discovers the European elite and wants to overthrow the established order, and the other that has reigned there with authority for decades (Madrid is the club most successful in Euroleague history with 11 titles in 21 finals since 1964). But this time the master subdued the insolent student. A student who is too belittled.

Too many hard hits

The evening had really started badly. A few hours before the start of the match, the Paris staff learned that they would have to do without leader and conductor TJ Shorts and winger Yakuba Ouattara, both suffering from a virus. Long uncertain for the same reason, Finnish infielder Mikael Jantunen finally kept his place early in the game… before returning to the locker room in the second quarter.

Despite these hard blows, Paris did not want to miss the first duel in its history against a tenor of European basketball, a legendary club whose white shirt is known to the four corners of the globe. From the start the Parisians imposed their pace thanks to the science of Maodo Lo’s game (10-4, 4th including 7 points from the German leader) before seeing Real recover and then take control (19-29, 11 °). Touched but not sunk, the Parisians, who have already achieved 11 successes and big names – including Barça, Partizan or Panathinaikos (reigning champion) – in their European match, reacted before the break (48-50, 20th).

Third defeat in five days

Upon returning from the locker rooms, both teams raise their level of play and continuously put on a show. Crazy, intense and indecisive (72-72, 33rd). Authors of 51 points in total, Maodo Lo (30 points and 7 assists) and Nadir Hifi carried Paris Basketball’s hopes to the end (85-96).

Stopped in their crazy European ride (10 successes in a row) last week in Asvel before surrendering in Le Mans on Betclic Élite, Tiago Splitter’s players then suffered their third setback in five days, the first sad one for them this season.

Surprise leader before the day, Paris Basketball is joined on the top step by Monaco. Seeing two clubs from the French league at the top of Europe remains a rare moment. Paris will have the opportunity to resume their march on Thursday by receiving Fenerbahçe.