Alba Berlin created a surprise by winning against Paris Basketball on the 6th day of the Euroleague. Relive the highlights of this intense duel which kept all its promises. The Berliners are taking a big step towards the playoffs, while the Parisian club is seeing its situation become more complicated…
Alba Berlin scored a valuable success against Paris Basketball (44-37) on the occasion of the 6th day of the Euroleague this Tuesday. In a defensive match fought from start to finish, it was the Germans who were able to make the difference at the end of the match to achieve a crucial victory in the race for the playoffs.
An intense and indecisive duel
From the start, the tone is set between two teams who don’t want to give up. The Berliners took control at the start of the match thanks to their three-point skill and a lively Louis Olinde (11 pts). But Paris reacted quickly through Nadir Hifi (8 pts) to get back on track.
The back and forth continues as the minutes pass and neither team manages to make a significant difference. At halftime, Alba Berlin had a narrow lead of 7 points (44-37) in a match where each possession was hotly contested.
Berlin makes the difference in the second half
Upon returning from the locker room, the appearance hardly changes. Defenses take precedence over attacks and open shots are rare. But under the leadership of Marcus Hermannsson (8 pts, 3 pts) and Tim Schneider (6 pts), Berlin manages to create a mini-gap at the end of the third quarter.
Paris tries to react with Tyrone Shorts (6 pts, 2 wt) but the Berliners maintain their advantage thanks to their collective control. With only 37 points conceded, Alba Berlin offers itself a valuable success which allows it to move up the rankings.
It was a very complicated match against a Paris team which caused us a lot of problems. But we were able to remain solid in defense and united in important moments. This victory will do us good.
Marcus Hermannsson, conductor of Alba Berlin
Paris must remobilize
On the Parisian side, disappointment is inevitably the order of the day after this setback. Despite defensive efforts and the contribution of several players like Nadir Hifi or Tyrone Shorts, Paris Basketball did not manage to reverse the trend at the end of the match.
With this result, the club from the French capital remains stuck at the bottom of the ranking and will have to quickly remobilize to avoid being dropped. The reception of FC Barcelona during the next day already promises to be momentous.
We are obviously disappointed because we wanted to win this evening at all costs. We lacked skill and had difficulty finding offensive solutions. We will have to react quickly and move forward.
Will Weaver, coach of Paris Basketball
The keys to the match
Here are the main lessons to be learned from this meeting:
- The iron defense of Alba Berlin which only conceded 37 points
- The long distance address of Berliners (7/19 at 3pts)
- The lack of offensive success on the Parisian side (13/41 on shots)
- The contribution of the German bench with the good returns of Tim Schneider and Malte Spagnolo
Thanks to this success, Alba Berlin (4v-2d) moved up to 6th place in the ranking, just ahead of Maccabi Tel-Aviv. For its part, Paris (2v-4d) remains 14th and sees the top 8 slipping away. The two teams will have the opportunity to meet again during the return match scheduled for January 24 at the Accor Arena.
The main thing to remember
In the other matches of the evening, Real Madrid won against Baskonia (89-74) while Olympiakos was surprised at home by Olimpia Milan (83-87). A new turning point in this Euroleague, which is still so indecisive and exciting.
Join us tomorrow to follow the rest of the hostilities with five new posters on the program including a clash between Panathinaikos and ASVEL, the only French team still undefeated in the Euroleague this season.
