A suspended moment. Almost unreal. Just before the shot clock sounded, Nadir Hifi rose into the air, higher than his closest opponent, and fired a “hallelujah” 3-point shot. The 11,764 spectators at the Accor Arena – and numerous VIPs including the artist Malik Bentalha and the judoka Clarisse Agbégnénou, who came with her Olympic medals – jumped at the same moment the ball pierced the basket.
Thanks to this shot of which he possesses the secret, the Little Prince of Paris gave Basket Paris a 15-point advantage against the great Panathinaikos of Athens (42-27) this Tuesday evening during the 3rd day of the Euroleague. While the Parisians were promised hell, not strong enough to play in the big leagues, they were offered heaven with a victory in style (84-80).
“With this victory we send a message,” Nadir Hifi said after the match. We earned our place, now that we’re here we have to do the work. We have no pressure or specific goals, it’s a year of discoveries. I’m proud to be part of this adventure and I hope we win as many games as possible. »
Empty and beaten by Red Star Belgrade (80-77) and Milan (79-74), Paris did not wait long to achieve its first success and score its first shot in the most prestigious club basketball competition of the old continent. This victory was achieved, in style, against the reigning champion, one of the strongest teams in Europe. Paris has shown that it has its place at the big table. The message is sent.
The Duel of Champions kept all its promises. More than Parisian fans could have hoped for in the clash between two reigning European champion teams: the Eurocup for Paris and its big sister, the Euroleague for the Greeks. The latter, the main candidates for succession, showed up in Paris with full confidence, undefeated in all competitions. Two months after reaching the final of the Paris Games against the American Avengers (87-98 defeat), Olympic vice champion Mathias Lessor returned to the scene at the Accor Arena. He received as many ovations from the French fans as from the hundreds of Greeks present in the room.
An ovation for Vincent Collet in the stands
Lessor, thanks to two consecutive baskets, immediately brought his team back on track (5-7, 3rd). Indecisive, intense, the game changes for the first time at the end of the first quarter with a series of 9 consecutive points by Hifi (19-15, 9th). A 21-8 from the start of the second act allowed the Parisians to lead by up to 15 points (42-27, 16th). Enzo Shahrvin, just 21 years old, contained the fervor of Lesssort and others. It was the partners of TJ Shorts – who celebrated their 27th anniversary – who set the tone, set the pace, won the comeback battle. Their all-court defense stifled Pana’s stars who looked helpless and were floundering in their basketball.
With four minutes to go the suspense was unbearable. Every ball was contested fiercely, players from both teams diving to the ground to wrest possession. A technical foul on coach Pana and an unsportsmanlike foul caused a long timeout. The speaker took the opportunity to point out the presence of Vincent Collet in the room. The former Blues coach, the coach with eight international medals, received a great ovation from the crowd at the Accor Arena. Mathias Lesssort also applauded him.
This break did not bother Nadir Hifi’s partners (20 points at the end). Despite the Greeks’ comeback (83-80) a few seconds before the siren, they gave themselves one of the most important and unlikely victories in the club’s history. “It’s the club’s first victory in the Euroleague, it’s a historic day,” Bandja Sy is pleased. The icing on the cake is against the reigning European champion and Bercy. It’s a very beautiful evening. We will take advantage of it even if there is a match in sight.” In fact, it will have to be confirmed this Thursday on the Bayern Munich parquet. In the meantime, the Parisians could savor this unreal moment.
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