Having romped to the finals, Paris will now face one of two teams it has lost to this season.

 Near-flawless Paris knows well its potential EuroCup Finals foes 

Paris Basketball steamrolled into the BKT EuroCup Finals with a comprehensive run in the playoffs, having beaten Jovtentut Badalona 86-70 on home court in the quarterfinals followed by an impressive 2-0 sweep of London Lions in their best-of-three semifinal series. 

The French franchise, which is aiming for its first trophy in European competition, brushed aside the Lions 99-86 at home and then 85-93 on the road, having fought back from a 45-39 halftime deficit in Game 2 with a vintage second-half performance that drew heaps of praise from head coach Tuomas Iisalo. 

The 41-year-old Finn, who took over at Paris during the off-season after spending the previous two years at German side Telekom Baskets Bonn, highlighted that the fightback epitomized a team mindset that had been instilled from day one of his tenure.

Paris enters this series on a remarkable 11-game winning streak after eliminating Joventut Badalona in the quarters, whereas London roared to the semis with a pair of double-digit do-or-die victories, including a 12-point road triumph against U-BT Cluj Napoca.

Paris Basketball-London Lions | Semifinals Game 1 Highlights | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup


"We've worked for this very hard since August and the guys put in an enormous amount of effort," Iisalo told the post-game press conference after his team forced the Lions into submission in Game 2.

"We were in a hole today and it feels even better to do it that way because it gives us a lot of confidence. We've done that several times already, it's been an incredible season for us, and now we've got to find a way to get two more (wins). 

"Offensive rebounding has been one of our biggest strengths this season but in the first half, London dominated us with 7 offensive boards. In the end we caught up and solidified our defense in the second half. At halftime we were pretty \[disappointed\] because we all felt we had a golden opportunity here, but it was an incredible second half as the guys locked in and started getting one stop after another."

### Next up, Bourg or Besiktas

In the best-of-three finals, Paris will clash with either compatriots Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse or Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul, which are locked 1-1 in their semifinal series ahead of next Wednesday's tie-breaker in Bourg.

As it happens, both sides have been banana skins for the seemingly invincible Paris.

Besiktas gave the French team its sole blemish in the EuroCup with a 63-68 victory in Paris during the regular season. Paris won the reverse fixture 72-95, with TJ Shorts leading the way on 23 points as the visitors got sweet revenge for slipping up the first time round. 

Prepare for a crunch-clash at the summit of Group A as unbeaten Paris are confronted by a Besiktas group situated just one spot behind. TJ Shorts and Nadir Hifi are the leaders for the French team, while the Turks are armed with the physicality of Angel Delgado.

Paris Basketball-Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul | Round 8 Highlights | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup

Paris also has met Bourg twice in the French League regular season, wining 83-78 at home before losing 83-81 away against a team that would clearly constitute awkward opposition just as much in the EuroCup final.

### Volumes of character

Last but not least, Paris will also be wary of the experience of outgoing champion Dreamland Gran Canaria, which lost to Bourg late in the regular season and then crashed out in the eighthfinals with a shock 78-80 home defeat by Besiktas.

Iisalo has plenty of reasons to be optimistic though, as he kept his feet firmly on the ground after a job well done against London, refusing to get carried away by his team's rock-solid performance in the series.

"We are very proud of being a very strong collective, on and off the court," he said. "These guys get along incredibly well and it comes from a mutual experience of very tough training. They trust each other and are able to lean on each other in very tough situations, \[the Game 2 win over London\] being a very good example of that."

Iisalo made it clear that his team will be practicing just as hard with the extra time earned by its semifinals sweep in order to be fully ready for whichever finals opponent it faces.

"Big credit to the London Lions, they are very talented and play hard. They are an extremely tough opponent and very well coached. Those are the teams that tell you most about yourself," the Paris boss said. "They expose your weakest links and it's then up to the training process to fix that. We've shown a will and resolve to win as this team has volumes of character and never backs down." 

More Paris Basketball News

Near-flawless Paris knows well its potential EuroCup Finals foes 

London Lions v Paris Basketball (2024-03-29T19:30:00.000Z)

Paris Basketball is into the EuroCup Finals after sweeping its semifinal series against the London Lions.

Paris Basketball had too much depth for battling London Lions

Paris Basketball made a statement of intent as it looks to win the club’s first trophy in European competition after [an 85-93 win at the London Lions](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/paris-beats-london-85-93-to-romp-into-eurocup-finals/) completed a 2-0 win over the British team in their best-of-three semifinal series in the BKT EuroCup.

The Lions looked capable of forcing a tiebreaker in the French capital after taking a 45-39 halftime lead in their Copper Box Arena, but they were eventually tamed by a more resourceful rival which fired on all cylinders in the second half.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">LE PARIS BASKETBALL EST EN FINALE DE L’EUROCUP 😍😍😍😍😍 <a href="https://t.co/nUTatGmSvP">pic.twitter.com/nUTatGmSvP</a></p>&mdash; Paris Basketball (@ParisBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/ParisBasketball/status/1773828146283827438?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Having [lost Game 1 in Paris 99-86](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/paris-outguns-london-in-game-1-99-86/) on Tuesday, London put up an impressive fight in front of a sellout 6,000 home crowd and outrebounded the visitors 40-34, having also sank 12 three-pointers from 26 attempts (46.2% 3FG).

However, the visitors subdued the Lions when the chips were down and forced them to commit a total of 21 turnovers while confining them to the same number of assists, having stepped up on defense and moved up a gear on the offensive end in the second half.

Paris moved closer to its first-ever EuroCup Finals by downing the Lions 99-86, where T.J. Shorts paced the winners with 23 points and 6 rebounds. The Londoners strive to remain in contention and David Nwaba and Gabe Olaseni could prove key for their prospects.

London Lions-Paris Basketball | Semifinals Game 2 Highlights | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup

[TJ Shorts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/tj-shorts/012608/) pulled the strings for Paris with 21 points and 6 assists, having been helped by a cohesive team effort which saw four other Paris players score in double digits. The visitors also dished out 23 assists while committing just 13 turnovers, prompting Shorts to heap praise on his teammates.

“It’s amazing to reach a final, you can’t take these moments for granted because you don’t get to do this every single year,” Shorts said in his post-game comments courtside. “I am not just happy for myself, but for all the guys who were out there fighting. I really don’t have the words right now to describe how I feel.

“Whichever opponent we face, we will try to get some rest between now and the championship series. We’ll break it down and respect them, but first we’ve got a game in the domestic league on Sunday.”

<center>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C5HXLNlrXxi/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C5HXLNlrXxi/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; 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overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C5HXLNlrXxi/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by TJ Shorts 𝐈𝐈 (@tjshorts5)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

### Finals series vs. Bourg or Besiktas

Paris, which blew away the opposition this season to reach the EuroCup Finals with an overall 20-1 record, will lock horns with either fellow French outfit Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse or Turkish side Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul, which are tied 1-1 in their semifinal series.

Besiktas forced a tiebreaker in France scheduled for Wednesday after levelling the series with Friday’s 82-71 win in Istanbul.

Paris head coach Tuomas Iisalo was just as elated as Shorts after steering his team into the final. “I am really proud of how the guys committed to the process back in August and this kind of reward makes it all worth it,” he said.

“In the second half, we did what we’ve been doing all season. We acknowledged the fact that we were not playing up to our standards and the guys once again leaned on each other like they’ve been doing all season. A simple formula but difficult to execute against a great team like London.”

London head coach Petar Bozic also praised his team for a gritty performance which encapsulated a fine season in the EuroCup, as the Lions became the first British team to reach the last four in European competition.

“I am not just proud, I am happy and honored to be a part of this group,” the Serbian tactician said. “It’s been an amazing season in the EuroCup and we’ve accomplished some historic things for British basketball.” 

Game News

Nadir Hifi of Paris Basketball shoots a shot against the London Lions in the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Semifinals.

The visitors once again displayed a gulf in class between themselves and the rest of the BKT EuroCup field

Paris had too much depth for battling London Lions

Besiktas big man Angel Delgado broke the EuroCup record for offensive rebounds in a season and every one counted to force Game 3 of the semifinals

 Delgado led forceful Besiktas show on offensive glass 

Playoff basketball is often measured by the grittiest, as opposed to the flashiest, statistics.

Yes, the most points always wins a game. But how those points are manufactured often means more in the playoffs. And for Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul, the number that stood out as it pushed its BKT EuroCup Semifinal series to a third and final game was offensive rebounds.

Battling around the basket to collect its own missed shots has been this team's calling card all season, and it was no different as [Besiktas wore down Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse for an 82-71 victory in Game 2 ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/besiktas-emlakjet-istanbul-mincidelice-jl-bourg-en-bresse/U2023/192/)before 15,200 leather-lung fans at the Sinan Erdem Dome in Istanbul.

Besiktas pulled 18 offensive rebounds on Friday, a total that has only been exceeded four times in EuroCup Semifinal games over the last 20 years. But ripping boards and taking names was very much at one with the Besiktas forte throughout the season, when its rebounders led the EuroCup with 13.2 of them on the offensive glass per game.

Friday marked the 17th time that any EuroCup team had 18 or more offensive rebounds this season, and it's no surprise that Besiktas has now done it on six occasions. No other team has done it more than twice. 

It's also no surprise that [Angel Delgado](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/angel-delgado/012647/) led the effort with 5, considering he is averaging a double-double of 12.0 points and 10.0 rebounds this season, a remarkable 4.0  of those boards coming on offense. He not only leads the league but is the just the second player ever to average 4.0 or more in 15-plus games in the competition. With his 5 on Friday, Delgado broke the EuroCup record for total offensive boards in a season with 77. 

Delgado, Simonovic and Mitchell's Game 2 highlights vs. Bourg

He had plenty of help this time, though. Fellow big man [Marko Simonovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/marko-simonovic/012711/) and forward [Matthew Mitchell](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/matthew-mitchell/012622/) each corralled 3 of their team's misses, while four other players had one each. There were also 3 such boards credited as team rebounds. The resulting 15-9 edge for Besiktas in second-chance points amounted to much of their winning margin.

Forcing 17 turnovers on Bourg and using that for a 14-7 advantage in points off turnovers was another gritty statistic that went the way of Besiktas.

All of it was necessary as Besiktas shot just 6 for 27 from the three-point arc (22.2%) and 18 for 31 at the foul line (58.1%), the kind of numbers that usually lose games.

But in the playoffs, grit often wins, and thanks to that grittiness, Besiktas has lived to fight another day.

"We saw in the first half that we were a little more under pressure than Bourg," Besiktas head coach Dusan Alimpijevic said. "Now, this pressure is on their side, and let's see how it will be in France."

A not-so-subtle warning to expect Delgado and co. to be eating glass again in Game 3

Game Videos

The Besiktas big man broke the EuroCup record for offensive rebounds in a season and every one counted to force Game 3 of the semifinals

Delgado led forceful Besiktas show on offensive glass

Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul v Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse (2024-03-29T17:45:00.000Z)

Paris Basketball wrapped up the best-of-three semifinal series against the London Lions with a clinical performance at Copper Box Arena.

Paris beats London 85-93 to romp into EuroCup Finals

Paris Basketball reached the BKT EuroCup Finals after an 85-93 win at London Lions sealed a 2-0 sweep in their best-of-three semifinal series, with the French team booking a clash with either compatriots Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse or Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul, who are tied 1-1. Following an emphatic 99-86 victory on its home court in Game 1 on Tuesday, Paris fought back from a 45-39 halftime deficit and prevailed thanks to ironclad defense coupled with smooth offense in the second half.

TJ Shorts paced Paris with 21 points and 6 assists, while Nadir Hifi and Sebastian Herrera posted 13 each. Justin Simon scored 11 points and Collin Malcolm chipped in with 10, as Paris overcame a poor first half in which it was outmuscled and committed 14 turnovers. Matt Morgan of London led all scorers with a game-high 25 points and Jordan Taylor added 17, but the rest of the home team's roster failed to hit double digits in scoring, as the Lions committed 21 turnovers.

Paris raced into an 8-16 lead thanks to tough defense early on. Roared on by a fervent home crowd, London slashed the deficit to 19-21 by the end of the first quarter. Powered by Morgan and impeccable rebounding at both ends of the floor, London turned the tables by halftime, opening up a 45-39 lead behind 24 rebounds and out 13 assists, which compensated for 14 turnovers.

With Morgan netting 12 points for the Lions and Shorts pouring 13 at the other end, the visitors were undone in the opening two quarters by poor free throw shooting as they sank only 9 of 18 from the foul line.

However, the tide turned after the break as Paris conjured a 6-17 run thanks to a barrage of fastbreaks generated by a heap of London turnovers in the wake of physical defending by the visitors. London was able to close the gap to 64-66 at the end of the third quarter but another 0-7 run by Paris left the home team a mountain to climb down the stretch.

Down 67-73, but galvanized by passionate support from their fans, the hosts tried to launch one last onslaught but were tamed by Hifi in the closing stages, as the versatile guard made a three-point play and Paris pulled away, 69-78. Hifi then hit a clutch three as Paris surged ahead 76-86 several minutes later and it was lights out for a brave and battling Lions outfit, which has now lost all four of the season's matchups against a superior Paris team.  

 

The French side wrapped up the best-of-three semifinal series with a clinical performance at the Copper Box Arena.

 

Besiktas followed the inspiration of 15,000-plus home fans to wrestle a 81-72 victory from Bourg and force their BKT EuroCup Semifinals series to a third, do-or-die game next week in France. 

Besiktas blasts Bourg 81-72 to force Game 3

Besiktas followed the inspiration of 15,000-plus home fans to wrestle a 81-72 victory from Bourg and force their BKT EuroCup Semifinals series to a third, do-or-die game next week in France. After a tense first half with 12 lead changes, Besiktas trailed 32-39 soon after halftime at the raucous Sinan Erdem Dome before reeling off an 11-0 run that changed the game for good. The lead reached a high of 73-58 with 5 minutes left before Besiktas closed it out. Jonah Mathews and Matthew Mitchell led five double-digit scores for Besiktas with 17 points each. Angel Delgado added 13 points, Derek Needham 12 and Marko Simonovic 11 for the winners. Isiaha Mike led Bourg with 19 points while Jequan Lewis added 11.

Besiktas suffered 3 quick turnovers before Delgado and Mathews got loose to stake a 4-2 lead.  Zaccharie Risacher tied it on a one-handed floater and after Mitchell answered, Mike sent Bourg ahead from deep 6-7. Lewis added a mid-range jumper at 7-9 but Needham topped with a triple to flip the lead again. Mike, despite 2 fouls, buried 7 consecutive points for Bourg to lead 12-16. Berk Ugurlu reeled Besiktas back from long distance and Simonovic restored a Besiktas lead, 17-16. Maxim Salash scored for Bourg but so did Kerem Konan to give Besiktas the 19-18 edge after 10 minutes.

Free throws by Simonovic and Kyle Allman lifted the lead to 23-18 as Bourg was held scoreless  for almost 3 minutes of the second quarter until Jeremy Morgan hit a reverse layup and Bodian Massa a lane runner at 23-22. Salash backed down to put the visitors back in front, 23-24. Yigit Arslan and Risacher traded baskets and leads. Simonovic stepped outside to flip it again before Hugo Benitez tied it up for Bourg. Mitchell bumped Besitkas in front and Kevin Kokila tied. Lewis, Delgado and Salash all traded leads before Lewis converted a three-point play with 5 seconds left to leave Bourg in charge, 32-36, at the break. 

Lewis beat the shot clock with  a triple to give Bourg a 32-39 lead right after halftime. Matthews combined a foul-line jumper with 3 free throws to get Besiktas right back in it before Delgado tied and Matthews canned a second-chance runner for the second half's first lead change, 41-39. Delgado kept it going with a power bucket for an 11-0 Besiktas run before Lewis stopped it with free throws. Mitchell's acrobatic tip-in and jumper extended the difference to 49-43. Simonovic and Mitchell upped it further before the big man made it 55-46 on a steal and slam. Bourg put on a quick 2-7 run to respond, but Needham stole and finished for a 59-53 Besiktas lead after 30 minutes.

Massa and Mathews exchanged baskets to open the final quarter, then Delgado's put-back made it 63-55 for Besiktas. Mitchell's triple in transition after a timeout made it a double-digit difference. Mathews and Mitchell kept pouring it on as the lead soared to 73-58. At 73-62 with 4 minutes left, Mitchell jumped on a fake from Bourg's Lewis and crashed to the floor, hitting his shoulder and head. It took him some minutes before he walked off gingerly, eventually smiling at all the attention. Mike got the difference down to single digits with a jumper and then added a triple to suddenly make it 73-67. He soon added free throws at 74-69 with 2 minutes left, but  Needham blasted from deep over Massa and Bourg missed a pair of missed triples, sending the series back to France to be resolved in Game 3 next week.  

The series heads back to France for a deciding game after Besiktas held serve at home.

Check out the Game 2 predictions for Paris Basketball vs. London Lions from EuroCupbasketball.com staff members.

Semifinals predictions: Game 2, Paris Basketball vs. London Lions

The best-of-three BKT EuroCup Semifinals are historic already as Paris Basketball and London Lions bring the highest-level European club game yet to the French capital.

### Paris sweeps 

### *by Igor Petrinovic*

Paris continued its dominance in the competition on Tuesday with its third win this season over London. Of their three head-to-head games, the only one that had drama in it was in Round 4 when Paris pulled out a 102-106 overtime decision. Back then, Paris did it despite losing T.J. Shorts in overtime, but even without him managed to finish the game on a 0-9 run. London Lions will not go down without a fight, but I think Paris sweeps its way into the EuroCup Finals. **My pick: Paris.**

### London will make amends at Copper Box

#### *by Geoff Gillingham*

There were positive signs from the London Lions during Game 1 at Paris, but ultimately some frustrations got the better of them, allowing the hosts to pull away. The good thing about playing in a series, however, is that you can quickly learn from your mistakes. In front of a packed-out Copper Box Arena, I think Petar Bozic’s charges will get back on track and force a Game 3 back in the French capital, with David Nwaba, Sam Dekker and [Gabe Olaseni](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/gabe-olaseni/006600/) likely to be at the center of everything good. Perhaps the biggest factor that could swing Game 2 is how well Matt Morgan gets on, with London’s leading scorer netting just 2 points in Game 2. If he can get going on offense, that should make his teammates' lives a lot easier. **My pick: London.**

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">ANOTHER SELL OUT! 🎟️🦁<br><br>It’s a full house at <a href="https://twitter.com/CopperBoxArena?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CopperBoxArena</a> for tomorrow’s <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroCup</a> semifinal game 2 vs <a href="https://twitter.com/ParisBasketball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ParisBasketball</a>! 🔥🍿<br><br>🆚 Lions vs <a href="https://twitter.com/ParisBasketball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ParisBasketball</a> <br>📆 TOMORROW<br>⏰ 7:30pm <br>📍 <a href="https://twitter.com/CopperBoxArena?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CopperBoxArena</a> <br><br>Make some noise for your Lions! 🗣️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreLondon?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreLondon</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> <a href="https://t.co/iaa1SP67fQ">pic.twitter.com/iaa1SP67fQ</a></p>&mdash; London Lions (@LondonLions) <a href="https://twitter.com/LondonLions/status/1773313920293294089?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Paris seals EuroCup Finals ticket

#### *by Javier Gancedo*

One may think that it took Paris two overtimes to beat London at the Copper Box in its last visit and that the Lions now a feature natural-born mismatch in David Nwaba. The truth is that Paris is also a much better basketball team than a few months ago; aggressive and focused on defense, and with two difference-makers in T.J. Shorts and [Nadir Hifi](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/nadir-hifi/012640/). It is the whole team's discipline on defense that allowed Paris play its free-flowing basketball on offense. Paris has been rock-solid until now and should get its 20th win of the season, a special one, punching its ticket to its first-ever EuroCup Finals. **My pick: Paris**.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Job not done yet. The Marathon Continues 🏁 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TMC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TMC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TjShorts5?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TjShorts5</a> <a href="https://t.co/UirMVvttR6">pic.twitter.com/UirMVvttR6</a></p>&mdash; Paris Basketball (@ParisBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/ParisBasketball/status/1772928958222286940?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### London bounces back, barely

#### *by Frank Lawlor*

Playoffs are all about adjusting game to game, and London boss Petar Bozic had plenty experience as a point guard in continental battles like this. First, his team needs to rebound a lot better than in Game 1. If that happens, a stop-and-start tempo will help. Remember, Besiktas won in Paris this season 63-68, holding a  record-pace scoring team to an incredible 35 points below its average. London won't need the same blueprint, just to borrow from it by maximizing the shot clock when necessary and getting physical inside, all to keep the ball out of the hands of T.J. Shorts. Rebounding and dominating the clock will level the playing field, after which London can compete. On this night, at least. **My pick: London.**

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">“We’ve worked hard all year to get to this point…” 🗣️ <a href="https://twitter.com/Conormorgan09?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Conormorgan09</a> <br><br>Conor Morgan on tomorrow’s <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroCup</a> semifinal, game two! <br><br>It’s all to play for… bring the noise, Lions fans! 🗣️🦁<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreLondon?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreLondon</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> <a href="https://t.co/FNzsIxIvuq">pic.twitter.com/FNzsIxIvuq</a></p>&mdash; London Lions (@LondonLions) <a href="https://twitter.com/LondonLions/status/1773430232529162255?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Paris takes care of business

#### *by Frankie Sachs*

The London Lions looked good at times in Game 1. Really good. Yet that wasn’t enough to threaten the best team in the EuroCup. And Copper Box Arena is not enough to make up the 13-point difference. Paris is now 3-0 against London this season and has won in London both this season and last. Will it be close? Probably. Does London have a shot? Sure. Do I expect the Lions to win? No. I think Paris takes care of business in an entertaining game and starts its preparations to host Game 1 of the 2024 EuroCup Finals. **My pick: Paris**.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">EURO SEMIFINAL GAME DAY! 🦁🔥<br><br>🏆 <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroCup</a> semifinal game 1️⃣<br>🆚 <a href="https://twitter.com/ParisBasketball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ParisBasketball</a> <br>⏰ 7:45pm GMT<br>📍 Adidas Arena<br>📺 <a href="https://twitter.com/tntsports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tntsports</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreLondon?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreLondon</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> <a href="https://t.co/R6dE7oulMi">pic.twitter.com/R6dE7oulMi</a></p>&mdash; London Lions (@LondonLions) <a href="https://twitter.com/LondonLions/status/1772571214067782018?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 26, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Check out the Game 2 predictions from EuroCupbasketball.com staff members.

Semifinals predictions: Game 2, Paris vs. London

Several trends have emerged in the BKT EuroCup Semifinals that could shape the action moving forward.

Stats review: Trends to watch in Game 2

### **Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul vs. Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse**

##### *Screeners*

Bourg's roll men poured in a season-high 17 points in Game 1 as Bodian Massa made the most of his touches whenever Besiktas repeatedly brought two defenders to the ball. His ability to make jumpers off short rolls from the free throw line proved especially useful and was a big reason Bourg was able to establish the first-half margin that they held the rest of the way.

#### *Rim protection*

Bourg held Besiktas to 10-for-18 shooting around the rim in half-court situations but conceded 13 points in free throws via the fouls they committed around the rim. Besiktas held Bourg to 12-for-23 shooting and 7 points on resulting free throws. Both teams did a very good job protecting the rim, but how they balance that with their physicality could be a point of interest as they combined to shoot 63 free throws in Game 1.

#### *Besiktas's backcourt*

Besiktas got a season-low 2 points from its ball handlers off pick-and-rolls in Game 1. While that clearly effected the outcome – with some credit is due to Bourg's defense, especially Jequan Lewis – Besiktas had finished third in the regular season in ball handler scoring in the two-man game. It would seem the Turkish team is due for a regression to the mean in Game 2. The aggressiveness of Derek Needham, Jonah Mathews and Kyle Allman is a big reason that Besiktas has had such a strong campaign. The last time they struggled similarly together, a couple months ago, they came back to combine on 28.5 points per game out of ball screens alone over the next two games.

 

This marks uncharted territory for both teams. Besiktas will try to become the third straight Turkish team to reach the finals, whilst Bourg seeks to become the first French finalist since Strasbourg in 2016, but which will gain the advantage in the opening encounter?

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse-Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul | Semifinals Game 1 Highlights | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup

### **London Lions vs. Paris Basketball**

#### *Pick-and-rolls*

In Game 1, Paris generated 56 points over 48 possessions used by their ball handlers or created by their passes out of pick-and-rolls. Both the most prolific and efficient ball-screen offense in the EuroCup, Paris exceeded its 57% conversion rate in such situations during the regular by boosting that figure to 70% in Game 1. London's ability to find answers guarding the ball figures to be critical to any chance of extending this series to a third game.

#### *Full-court pressure*

Few teams anywhere in professional basketball defend in the back court as often as Paris. In Game 1, they pressed for 25 possessions, in line with their season averages, and forced 9 turnovers from those possessions. Nearly all those turnovers occurred after London had already broken the press and started its half-court offense. At the same time, when not turning the ball over, London shot 69% in those situations. Facing pressure or not, how London takes care of the ball is key considering that its reserves turned the ball over 10 times in Game 1.

#### *Paint points*

London produced 66 points while shooting a stellar 66% around the rim in Game 1. While the Lions shot exceptionally well around the rim all year, that is 15 more points per game than their season average. David Nwaba played a key role in those efforts, scoring 22 of his 26 points in the lane. How consistently this offense can put pressure on the rim figures to be an x-factor against a Paris defense whose priorities lie elsewhere.

Several trends have emerged in the BKT EuroCup Semifinals that could shape the action moving forward.

 

Semifinals predictions: Game 2, Bourg vs. Besiktas

The best-of-three BKT EuroCup Semifinals feature an intriguing showdown between Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse and Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul.

### Besiktas to force Game 3

#### *by Geoff Gillingham*

Besiktas blew hot and cold at home this year, going 5-3 in Istanbul in the regular season (it played one game in Slovenia, a contest it lost), but it will have a new home for one night only as thousands of fans flock to Sinan Erdem Sports Hall, Anadolu Efes Istanbul’s 16,000-seater arena. Given that Besiktas’s BJK Emlakjet Sports & Event Hall can hold just 3,200 fans, Bourg can expect quite the atmosphere when it takes to the floor on Friday evening. I think that the Besiktas players, namely [Angel Delgado](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/angel-delgado/012647/) and [Jonah Mathews](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/jonah-mathews/011936/), will rise to the occasion and send the series back to France for a do-or-die Game 3. **My pick: Besiktas.**

### Bourg will pass the Istanbul test

#### *by Igor Petrinovic*

Bourg displayed just how tough that team is in Game 1. It had 2 more turnovers, 1 fewer rebound and just 1 assist more than its rival, Besiktas. Still, Bourg spent the great majority of the final three quarters with a double-digit lead. In Istanbul, Bourg will face an atmosphere it has not encountered the entire season, a test against an opponent with its back against the wall. I think Bourg passes another test with flying colors and sweeps its way into the EuroCup Finals. **My pick: Bourg.**

### Bourg gets out the broom

#### *by Frank Lawlor*

Good as its home record is, 10-1 and counting, Bourg is on the brink of the finals thanks to its last two road wins, low-scoring, late-regular-season tests at Turk Telekom Ankara and Aris Midea Thessaloniki, teams with raucous crowds then surging toward postseason qualification. Bourg was unfazed, just as I expect it will be on Friday against Besiktas's even bigger crowd. Bourg learned resilience from lacking it last season, and has won with an even temperament throughout this one. This team knows itself and knows what it will take to win on Friday. **My pick: Bourg.**

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">La mission continue à Istanbul 🇹🇷<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeRedy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeRedy</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroCup</a> <a href="https://t.co/o4ode9Dscf">pic.twitter.com/o4ode9Dscf</a></p>&mdash; JL Bourg Basket (@JLBourgBasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/JLBourgBasket/status/1773340755521610178?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Besiktas ties the series

#### *by Javier Gancedo*

Friday is going to be a very special night for Besiktas as it hosts Game 2 of its semifinals series against Bourg in front of a sellout crowd at Sinan Erdem Sports Hall. Bourg will be walking into an atmosphere of noisy opposition that it's not used to. In its only other game at Sinan Erdem this season, Besiktas edged Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul 68-64 in Turkish League action. In Game 1, [Matt Mitchell](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/matthew-mitchell/012622/), [Derek Needham](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/derek-needham/008945/) and Jonah Mathews combined for a PIR of -8 at halftime. That is unlikely to happen again. Angel Delgado gives Besiktas a clear advantage in the paint, and head coach Dusan Alimpijevic is all about capitalizing on those. **My pick: Besiktas**.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">Haydi kalk ayağa! 🦅 Yürü 𝘇𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞. 👊 <a href="https://t.co/bE5wdughCb">pic.twitter.com/bE5wdughCb</a></p>&mdash; Beşiktaş Emlakjet (@BJK_Basketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/BJK_Basketbol/status/1773439924534124896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Bourg’s depth sends it onward

#### *by Frankie Sachs*

Not to toot my own horn too much, but did you notice how spot on my Game 1 prediction was? Bourg by a dozen! And the final score was 86-74… It won’t be as easy this time, but nonetheless I expect a Bourg win and series sweep. Why you ask? Bourg won the opener despite a lukewarm showing by [Zaccharie Risacher](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/zaccharie-risacher/010718/) and a quiet day from [Hugo Benitez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/hugo-benitez/010449/). No one on the team had freak performance that cannot be repeated. Meanwhile, Besiktas center Angel Delgado dominated the paint and I expect Bourg to arrive better prepared to contain him. It should be much closer than Game 1, but… **My pick: Bourg**

SEMIFINALS

The best-of-three BKT EuroCup Semifinals resume on Friday after the home teams won the openers on Tuesday. Will they continue on for a sweep or will we move on to deciding Game 3s next week?

Game Center: Visiting Bourg, Paris knocking on finals door

[Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul 81-72 Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/besiktas-emlakjet-istanbul-mincidelice-jl-bourg-en-bresse/U2023/192/)

Besiktas followed the inspiration of 15,000-plus fans to wrestle a 81-72 victory from visiting Bourg and force their BKT EuroCup Semifinals series to a third, do-or-die game next week in France. After a tense first half with 12 lead changes, Besiktas trailed 32-39 soon after halftime at the raucous Sinan Erdem Dome before reeling off an 11-0 run that changed the game for good. The lead reached a high of 73-58 with 5 minutes left before Besiktas closed it out. Jonah Mathews and Matthew Mitchell led five double-digit scores for Besiktas with 17 points each. Angel Delgado added 13 points, Derek Needham 12 and Marko Simonovic 11 for the winners. Isiaha Mike led Bourg with 19 points. 

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">GAME 3 IT IS ⌛️<a href="https://twitter.com/BJK_Basketbol?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BJK_Basketbol</a> beats Bourg in G2 <a href="https://t.co/xpgM1Pz1QD">pic.twitter.com/xpgM1Pz1QD</a></p>&mdash; BKT EuroCup (@EuroCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup/status/1773802379118366759?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

[London Lions 85-93 Paris Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/london-lions-paris-basketball/U2023/191/)

Paris reached the BKT EuroCup Final after an 85-93 win at London Lions sealed a 2-0 sweep of their best-of-three semifinal series on Friday. The French advances to face either compatriots Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse or Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul, who are tied 1-1. Following an emphatic 99-86 victory on its home court in Game 1 , Paris fought back from a 45-39 halftime deficit at the Copper Box Arena and prevailed thanks to ironclad defense coupled with smooth offense in the second half. TJ Shorts paced Paris with 21 points and 6 assists, while Nadir Hifi and Sebastian Herrera posted 13 each. Justin Simon scored 11 points and Collin Malcolm chipped in with 10, as Paris overcame a poor first half in which it was out-muscled and committed 14 turnovers. Matt Morgan led London and all scorers with a game-high 25 points and Jordan Taylor added 17

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We know one team that will definitely be in the Finals, <a href="https://twitter.com/ParisBasketball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ParisBasketball</a> 👏 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> <a href="https://t.co/r3KrzejuUe">pic.twitter.com/r3KrzejuUe</a></p>&mdash; BKT EuroCup (@EuroCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup/status/1773832611321823348?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

Near-flawless Paris knows well its potential EuroCup Finals foes

Paris had too much depth for battling London Lions

Delgado led forceful Besiktas show on offensive glass

Paris beats London 85-93 to romp into EuroCup Finals

Besiktas blasts Bourg 81-72 to force Game 3

Semifinals predictions: Game 2, Paris vs. London

Stats review: Trends to watch in Game 2

Semifinals predictions: Game 2, Bourg vs. Besiktas

Game Center: Paris sweeps to finals! Besiktas forces Game 3!