Paris is the EuroCup champion. They defeated their French rival Bourg 89:81, securing their place in the EuroLeague for the next season.
The game started at a fast pace, with Isiah Mike showing great form from the beginning. He scored seven points without a miss, and then Jeremy Morgan added another three-pointer for a 16:9 lead. However, the rhythm slowed down afterwards, with interruptions due to nervous passes and fouls. Nadir Hifi broke the deadlock with free throws, followed by Julien’s basket after a drive and then another three-pointer, the fifth in the first quarter. Where there’s a fifth, there’s a sixth, and it was scored by Maksim Salash. The hosts ended the first quarter brilliantly with a shot from Hugo Benitez, leading 26:22.
The second quarter began with a 4:0 run by Frederic Fathoux’s team. Sebastian Herrera scored the first points for the guests in this part of the game. There were also some decisions that didn’t sit well with the audience, and both teams were clearly affected by nerves. The tension rose a bit, with players from Bourg complaining a lot, but they maintained their lead. A technical foul was called on Ngouama, which the home team capitalized on. Justin Simon had a monstrous dunk, and then Mike and Julien responded with three-pointers. A lot happened until the end of the half, with many fouls on both sides, and the team from north-west France led 46:43.
Tyson Ward opened the second half with a three-pointer, but Benitez quickly responded with a two-pointer, putting the hosts back in the lead. T.J. Shorts gave his team the lead for the first time. Then Massa scored four points in a row, putting the team back in front. The Parisians started their recognizable run, trying to break the resistance of their French rival. However, the hosts managed to equalize again, and after 30 minutes of basketball, it was 63:63.
Once again, the Parisians went on a run. Jantunen and Ward connected on two three-pointers for a plus five lead. A staggering 11-0 run led by Toumas Iisala’s team brought them to a score of 75:67, their new largest lead, with Mikael Jantunen shining. He scored two three-pointers and drew an offensive foul. Kokila interrupted the run. Jeremy Morgan made a crucial three-pointer, and then Shorts scored his 22nd point with a jump shot. Hifi made an extremely important three-pointer a minute and a half before the end. That proved decisive as Simon dunked for a plus 11 lead, securing the win and the EuroCup title.
For Paris, the standout player was none other than the MVP, T.J. Shorts. He scored 22 points, followed by Hifi with 14. Jeremy Morgan contributed 14 points, while Isiah Mike added 16.
Venue: “Ekinox”, Bourg
Referees: Ryzhyk, Cortes, Konstantivnos
BOURG – PARIS 89:81 (26:22,20:21,17:21,18:25)
Bourg: Morgan, Mike, Massa, Julien, Benitez, Lewis, Salash, Kokila, Brown, Risacher, Rowland, Courby
Paris: Ward, Jantunen, Shorts, Herrera, Denis, Hifi, Kessens, Malcolm, Ngouama, Simon, Sy.
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