Asvel has heart. Strongly diminished by the absence of their attacking leader Euroleague“>Elie Okobo, last minute package (shoulder), the French champions snatched their ninth success of the season against Red Star Belgrade (69-67) in the 22nd Euroleague day Friday at the Astroballe. They remain in ambush in eleventh place with a victory of the eighth, qualifying for the play-offs.
Three days after the rouste conceded to Astroballe against Monaco (75-100), TJ Parker’s players drew a lot in attack (19 stray balls, 3 out of 16 from three points) against the Serbian defense, the most hermetic of the Euroleague.
Led by ten points at the break (25-35) after a starving first half, Asvel got away with it thanks to renewed aggressiveness, balls won in defense, fast play and Paul’s leadership. Lacombe who broke his Euroleague points record (17) and equaled his best total in rebounds (7).
Record for Paul Lacombe
The international back sounded the alarm clock when he returned from the locker room scoring ten points in the third quarter, provoking, attacking the Red Star who fell apart and paid for his lack of matches in the second half. The teammates of Nikola Kalinic, released for five fouls in money time, had not played since January 2 due to the Covid which put almost the entire team in isolation.
Conversely, Asvel multiplies matches and glitches. Okobo, Howard and Wembanyama are out, not to mention the long-term absences of Lighty and Morgan, while Antoine Diot, who started in the starting lineup, only played four minutes, obviously injured. But she found fighting virtues to pass in front at the end of the third quarter (44-53). And then relied on its American leader Chris Jones (17 points) to plug a small five-point deficit at the start of the last four minutes.
Lacombe then forced a force pass from Aaron White and Jones scored the basket for the deliverance twenty-six seconds before Dobric missed the last Serbian shot. After two defeats in a row, the champions of France are still in the hard while they will still chain four matches in eight days but at least they have raised their heads and remain in the Euroleague.
