Paris Basketball boasts fun basketball, in which enjoyment is the important thing, almost the only thing. That unconsciousness together with an unapologetic attack and many daring players, among whom TJ Shorts stands out (24 points yesterday), was the recipe that Thiago Splitter’s men used to assault the Palau Blaugrana. Barça, until yesterday the leader, paid for the hangover of the victory in Belgrade with two quarters, the first and the last, in which they were unable to stop their rival and lost for the first time at home in the Euroleague this year.
The French team came out in a rush and caught Barça on the wrong foot. The lack of intensity in Peñarroya’s team was a blessing for a Paris team that imposed a dizzying pace in each attack. Led by a fantastic Shorts in penetrating the rim and in suspensions, the first sets were negative for Barça. In just five minutes, the visitors had already scored 18 points, which went up to 31 at the end of the first quarter.
At the beginning of the second quarter the maximum of the game came for Paris (18-33), but that is where the Peñarroya team’s comeback began. The defensive piston changed, with constant help on Shorts, and the wrists of Abrines (3 of 5 in triples), Parker (12 points) and a very productive Willy on both rims (4 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists) appeared. Four consecutive triples tied the game in a flash. Before the break, the Parisians adjusted their defense, although they continued to have many problems in the triple (1 of 10).
It was time to get the crowd into the game and it was Núñez who did it with seven goals at the beginning of the third quarter. Another triple from Parra put the maximum for the Blaugranas (62-55). Barça did not break the game at that moment and ended up paying for it. With the help of Shorts, Paris woke up again. There began a head-to-head between Lo and Hernángomez in which both scored eight consecutive points to keep the game tied (70-73).
But the dynamics already favored the French. Paris is a team that does not seem to fear anything. That philosophy allows them to be somewhat unconscious in the search for the rim. For 30 minutes they had not found the right triple, but in the last one they persisted until they found a prize that would lead them to victory. Ouattara, Hifi and Shorts hammered the Barça ring mercilessly. Barça had no response. No one showed up to save the furniture. Neither game, nor success. The paralysis was total. With a partial score of 17-30, Paris took the victory (87-103) with great force in the field of the leader, who must turn the page as soon as possible, since they host Valencia tomorrow
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