Paris Basketball guard Nadir Hifi caught up with Javier Gancedo to discuss his team's successes this year and his expectations ahead of the EuroCup Finals.

Nadir Hifi, Paris Basketball: 'We just have to do our jobs and get to the EuroLeague'

Paris Basketball star [Nadir Hifi](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/nadir-hifi/012640/) has really put himself on the map this season and now, heading into his first BKT EuroCup Finals, the ‘Prince of Paris’ is full of confidence.

On Monday, the 21-year-old became one of the youngest players in competition history to be named to the All-EuroCup Second Team, with his streetball style and no-fear approach resonating with basketball fans right across Europe. 

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">Très fier et honoré de faire partie du deuxième meilleur 5 d’EuroCup pour ma première saison européenne 🙏🏼 <a href="https://t.co/CjO8YdCYZg">pic.twitter.com/CjO8YdCYZg</a></p>&mdash; Nadir Hifi (@NadirHifi) <a href="https://twitter.com/NadirHifi/status/1777372348905066642?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Averaging 16.9 points on 95.3% free throws, 2.5 assists and a PIR of 13.3 in 22 minutes per night in his rookie EuroCup season, Hifi has played a key role in Paris’s 20-1 record and understands perfectly that the club's next goal is to make it to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague by winning the EuroCup Finals. But first, Hifi and Paris must defeat a domestic foe in Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse.

Hifi sat down with Javier Gancedo of [EuroCupBasketball.com](http://EuroCupBasketball.com) to discuss the upcoming finals, playing alongside T.J. Shorts and plenty more.

**Hello, Nadir. Congratulations on making it to the final. How much are you looking forward to this opportunity, to win the EuroCup and to get your first trophy at this level?**

"It is the first time that I’m playing in a final. It is something different and very special for me. We have working since August for this, so now we have something between our hands. We just have to do the job tomorrow and \[in Game 2 at Bourg\] on Friday."

**As a team, you are breaking all of the EuroCup's scoring records – Paris is the best offensive team in the history of the competition. What has allowed you to play so well and so fast?**

"Yes, this is our style of basketball: to run, play with intensity and shock the \[opponent\] teams. But this is our way to play basketball. We don't count statistics or the points that they scored against us. We just want to win every game."

**Head coach Tuomas Iisalo arrived with six players from Telekom Baskets Bonn. You are also a newcomer. How did you adjust to this system so fast?**

"I think it is a good thing because it is a different style of basketball, and when you have six players who know this style, we just have to adapt. So yes, it was one of the good things."

**Even though you only lost one game, did you have any tough moments during the season?**

"Yes, we had a lot of tough games. I would say against Joventut, that double overtime game against London. It has not been so easy but I think losing one game in the whole season is very tough, so we can be proud of ourselves."

**Let's talk about you a little bit. I cannot think of a young player coming into the EuroCup with such self-confidence. What does it come from?**

"I think it is just a state of mind. I worked so hard to be here, so I'm confident in my game. I think I'm ready to play at the best European level but yes, I'm working so hard. This is my style of basketball: to be confident and take every open shot and just play my game."

Nadir Hifi is averaging 16.9 points on 95.3% free throws, 2.5 assists and a PIR of 13.3 in 22 minutes per night. Hifi helped Paris reach the EuroCup Finals with a 20-1 record.

Nadir Hifi highlights, Paris Basketball

**Speaking about style, how important is style for you off the court?**

"Yeah, the style off the court is important, but this is a little bit of a problem for me because I'm so focused on basketball that I don't do extra things off the court. But I’m working on it. It's important to see other things."

**Bourg is that only team that you haven't beaten this season. What do you like about them?**

"Bourg is a very tough team. They play very aggressive, and, as you said, we lost once against them \[in the French League\] at the beginning of the season, in November or December I think. We did big things from there, so I think we are ready. It is going to be a big matchup for us, but I think we are ready."

**Generally speaking, what do you need to do to win this series, to win two games against Bourg?**

"I think we’ve just got to do what we’ve done since August. We’ve worked so hard to be there, so we have to be aggressive, play our game like we did during the year and everything will go fine. I think we are going to win."

**How great is it to play with T.J. Shorts, and how amazing has his season been until now?**

"T.J. is like a brother for me – off the court and on the court. It's very important that at my age, to be a good player... it's not only T.J., but every teammate I had this year pushed me to get better and my staff, my coach. So I'm very proud to be there in basketball, and I just get better every day. And that's what I need at this time of my career."

**And finally, what would it mean to you to win the EuroCup and go to the EuroLeague with Paris next season? How great would that be?**

"When I signed with Paris Basketball, this was my first goal. I know we are going to have a very competitive team and we are going to get to win two games to put Paris Basketball in a good situation next year. But we just have to do our jobs and then be in the EuroLeague next year."

Game News

Nadir Hifi in action for Paris Basketball in the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup season.

The talented guard caught up with Javier Gancedo ahead of the EuroCup Finals

Nadir Hifi, Paris: 'We just have to do our jobs and get to the EuroLeague'

Paris Basketball v Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse (2024-04-09T18:30:00.000Z)

The Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse big man spoke to Javier Gancedo on the eve of the BKT EuroCup Finals. 

Maksim Salash, Bourg: 'We know we can win'

In just three seasons, Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse has gone from second-bottom in its regular season group to playing for the 2024 BKT EuroCup crown. Bourg finished atop its regular season group, beat Prometey Slobozhanske in the quarterfinals and survived a tough best-of-three series against Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul to reach the EuroCup Finals against Paris Basketball. Power forward [Maksim Salash](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/maksim-salash/004525/) was one of Bourg's heroes in the semifinals as he shone in Game 3, leading Bourg to a no-doubt-about-it 89-63 victory with 19 points, 4 rebounds and 5 fouls drawn for a PIR of 19 in over 18 minutes. 

Salash played professionally in Spain, Poland, Estonia, Russia and his native Belarus before joining Bourg. He said he hopes his outstanding performance in Game 3 will be just the beginning of a new chapter in his career. "Obviously, getting games like this can give you a little boost, especially when my season has had some ups and downs so far," Salash told Javier Gancedo of [EuroCupBasketball.com](http://EuroCupBasketball.com). "I hope playing games like this can help me maintain my best level. I guess the finals are going to be different."

**Hello, Maks. Congratulations on making it to the final. Bourg missed the playoffs two years ago and now it's in the EuroCup Finals. How has the season been for you guys and what allowed you to get to this point?**

"Thanks. It has been a great season from the start. From the first day of training in pre-season, we set our goals and knew what we wanted to achieve this season. I think we are on the way. The season is still not finished, there is still a long way to go, but I think we are on the right path, and now we are in the EuroCup Finals. It has been a long way, a long season with a lot of games, but we were on top of our group and are in the Finals, so it has been great." 

"It's the EuroCup Finals, anything can happen there."

**In Game 3 of the semifinals, you lost Bodian Massa early but you played well at the '5' position, probably having the best game of the season. What allowed you to play so well? Did you think it was your time to step up and make a difference?**

"Unfortunately, Massa was ejected along with Delgado and I had to play the '5'. But I played the '5' during the season, especially in the beginning of this season, so I do this sometimes for the coach, for the team. I mean, it wasn't a big surprise because I can play at the '5'. And as far as the game, it was Game 3 of the playoffs, you have to give 100%, give your best, so I cannot say there was anything special happening. It was just us wanting to win this game so badly in front of an amazing home court. Everything happened like we wanted it to."

**How important is it for you to have a game like this in terms of confidence, right before the EuroCup Finals?** 

"It's great. Obviously, getting games like this can give you a little boost, especially when my season has had some ups and downs so far. I hope playing games like these can help me maintain my best level. I guess the finals are going to be different. It's the EuroCup Finals, anything can happen." 

**A decade ago, you were one of the stars of the Adidas Next Generation Tournament and played in the finals in Milan in 2014. What do you remember about that experience?**

"Only positive, good things. We won this tournament \[ANGT Qualifier in Rome\], which was obviously great. Yes, it was a great time, for sure, but it's just different now. I was a teenager back then, and it was not even a professional level. Being in the EuroCup Finals is different, I cannot compare these two experiences. It's just different." 

Maksim Salash helped Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse reach the 2024 BKT EuroCup Finals.

2023-24 EuroCup highlights: Maksim Salash, Bourg

**The club, Baloncesto Sevilla, had a lot of foreign prospects like Kristaps Porzingis, Tomas Satoransky, Nikola Radicevic and Beqa Burjanadze, who all played in the EuroCup at some point. What happened in Sevilla during those years that allowed so many young talents to blossom and become professional players?** 

"The structure of the club there was absolutely great at that time. Everything was ready to prepare these young guys. Their academy and the way they handled things was great. And that's actually why I went there because I was 16 years old and had a few different offers from other teams. But I decided to go there because of how they handled things, how they prepared young guys and stuff. It was just the really good structure of the academy." 

**You are about to face Paris Basketball in the finals. They are breaking all sorts of scoring records. What do you think has allowed them to play so fast and effectively?** 

"First of all, as you said, they play fast. They play with a lot of energy, and that's probably one of the main reasons why they score so much. Obviously, there is a lot of talent there, and they're just having a great season. They are rolling and have a lot of confidence, I guess, so all that translates to the points they score."

**You beat them in the French League. How important is that in terms of confidence, knowing that the job can be done?** 

"It's kind of funny. We just played them once this year and we won, so it's going to be very interesting. They are obviously in great shape, but we have to have some confidence. We know we can win, and it's the Finals. We just have to be ready, and we will see what happens in those games."

"Controlling the pace of the game is very important. You never want anybody to score 100 points on you, that's for sure."

**How much of a key is controlling the pace and not allowing them to run the way they usually do?**

"You can say that about French basketball, it is very fast and energetic. A lot of teams here play like this, and I think we are going to be ready for that. We like to control the pace ourselves, so maybe this is one of the reasons we can win the series. Controlling the pace of the game is very important. You never want anybody to score 100 points on you, that's for sure."

**How is the atmosphere in Bourg? It's the club's first European final, after all.** 

"It's great. It's been great since the beginning of the season: the fans, the staff, everything that is going on. It's been crazy. I think it is going to be a big game for the club in general. Our fans and the atmosphere they create have been crazy, and it is only going to get even bigger in these days. Playing at home, in front of that atmosphere, gives us this additional boost. Throughout the season, a lot of games have been sold out. People really love basketball in Bourg." 

**You won the BCL in the past. What would it mean for you to go one step higher, win the Eurocup and maybe have the chance to play the EuroLeague?**

"It still is unbelievable, because it is my first season ever playing in the EuroCup, and we went straight to the finals. It has been amazing, but we haven't won it yet, so I cannot compare it to the BCL I won with Burgos. Still, I know what we can achieve. It is hard to comprehend that we are going to play in the finals. That's crazy. I still can't believe that. And of course, everybody wants to go to the EuroLeague but right now, I try not to think about it. We have to go step by step and focus on these games. We will play these really important games and we will see what happens after that. Right now, we are focused on playing in the finals. That is all we will be thinking right now." 

The countdown to the 2024 BKT EuroCup Finals is underway. However, before a champion is crowned, it is only fitting to stop and salute the standout performers who made the 2023-24 season a resounding success. The five players selected to the All-EuroCup Second Team through voting by fans, media, head coaches and team captains are all first-time honorees who led their respective teams into the BKT EuroCup Playoffs.

2023-24 BKT All-EuroCup Second Team

### Andres Feliz, Joventut Badalona

His third EuroCup campaign was the best yet for Joventut guard [Andres Feliz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/andres-feliz/011247/). The 26-year-old ranked sixth in the EuroCup this season in assists (5.1 apg.) and third in steals (2.1 spg.). He also led Joventut in scoring (14.7 ppg.) and was second in rebounds (4.7 rpg.). Feliz was at his best in the eighthfinals when he led Joventut to a 79-88 road win at ratiopharm Ulm with 28 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. His 12 baskets made in that game tied for the most by any player in a game this season and helped Feliz earn the Eighthfinals MVP honor. 

### Patrick Richard, U-BT Cluj-Napoca

Cluj captain [Patrick Richard](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/patrick-richard/011801/) was among the most dangerous sixth men in the EuroCup this season. He was near the top of the team in scoring (11.4 ppg.), assists (3.8 apg.) and PIR (13.1) in helping Cluj finish second in Group B and reach the EuroCup Quarterfinals for the first time. Richard was one of only two players to shoot at least 68.8% on two-pointers and 42.0% on threes. The 34-year-old, who is in his fifth season with Cluj, is the fifth oldest All-EuroCup selection in the past decade.

### Emanuel Cate, U-BT Cluj-Napoca

One of the most consistent players for Cluj, [Emanuel Cate](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/emanuel-cate/005373/) was a force in the paint. He posted 9.0 points and 4.4 rebounds during Cluj's 13-win regular season. Cate was among the team leaders in PIR (11.6), total two-pointers made (66) and accuracy (66.0%). He posted PIRs in double figures in all but five regular-season games. Cate had his best game in Round 17 with a club record and a career-high 38 PIR in a key win at Gran Canaria. He received MVP of the Round honors for that performance. 

### Nadir Hifi, Paris Basketball 

[Nadir Hifi](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/nadir-hifi/012640/) broke out as one of the top young players in Europe in his debut season in the competition. Going into the 2024 BKT EuroCup Finals with Paris, he ranks fourth in the competition in scoring (16.9 ppg.), second in three-pointers made (52), and fourth in free-throw accuracy (95.3%). His 30.6 points per 40 minutes were by far the best of all EuroCup players this season. Hifi has made multiple three-pointers in all but four games. He has scored more than 10 points in 20 of his 21 appearances and had at least 20 seven times, all off the bench.

### Deividas Sirvydis, 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys

The leading scorer in the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup was [Deividas Sirvydis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/deividas-sirvydis/007029/) of Lietkabelis with 18.9 points per game. He scored at least 20 points in nine of his 16 appearances in this, his fourth season in the competition. Sirvydis knocked down an average of 2.8 three-pointers per game, which was the second-most in the EuroCup, and did so with 42.3% accuracy. He led Lietkabelis with an average PIR of 17.8 and was third on the team with 4.4 rebounds. Sirvydis becomes the first Lietkabelis player ever named to an All-EuroCup team.

The countdown to the 2024 BKT EuroCup Finals is underway. However, before a champion is crowned, it is only fitting to stop and salute the standout performers who made the 2023-24 season a resounding success. The five players selected to the All-EuroCup First Team through voting by fans, media, head coaches and team captains are all first-time honorees who led their respective teams into the BKT EuroCup Playoffs.

2023-24 BKT All-EuroCup First Team

### T.J. Shorts, Paris Basketball

Few EuroCup players have ever had the team and individual success that [T.J. Shorts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/tj-shorts/012608/) has enjoyed. In his first season in the competition, Shorts leads the 2023-24 EuroCup in assists (7.5 apg.), two-point shots made (5.9) and PIR (23.4), while ranking second in scoring (18.0 ppg.) and fourth in steals (2.0 spg.). He was the MVP of Rounds 1, 10 and 12, the quarterfinals and the semifinals. Shorts recorded five points-and-assists double-doubles this season. He is leading Paris to record-setting numbers, as well as a 20-1 record entering the EuroCup Finals. Paris is averaging 98.4 points per game and has a PIR average of 116.0, each of which are on course to become new competition records. Kudos to Shorts on a one-of-a-kind season!

2023-24 BKT All-EuroCup First Team: T.J. Shorts, Paris Basketball

### Trevion Williams, ratiopharm Ulm

In his first EuroCup season, [Trevion Williams](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/trevion-lamon-williams-/012604/) established himself among the best centers in the competition. He led the EuroCup in total rebounds with 10.8 per game. He needed just 18 games to record 12 double-doubles, which tied Vladimir Golubovic (2013-14) for the most by any player in a single EuroCup season. Williams also ranked in the top 20 in points (14.8 ppg.) and assists (4.3 apg,), leading all centers in the latter category. That led to Williams ranking second in the competition in average PIR with 22.1. He also earned Round 3 co-MVP honors with a PIR of 31. Williams amassed a PIR of 20 or more in 12 out of 18 games this season.

2023-24 BKT All-EuroCup First Team: Trevion Williams, ratiopharm Ulm

### Gabe Olaseni, London Lions

[Gabe Olaseni](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/gabe-olaseni/006600/) helped London reach the EuroCup semifinals, thus achieving the biggest success ever for any British basketball team in European competition. Olaseni ranked fifth in the competition with an average PIR of 20.1. He was also in the top 10 in average points (15.5) and rebounds (7.4). Olaseni was London's most reliable player; he scored in double figures in 19 of his 21 appearances! He posted five double-doubles this season for London, too. Olaseni ranked fourth in free throw attempts (5.4 per game) and made 78.9% of his attempts, and was second in two-point shots made per game (5.6), with a solid percentage (64.1% 2FG), too.

2023-24 BKT All-EuroCup First Team: Gabe Olaseni, London Lions

### Isiaha Mike, Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse

On a team without superstars, [Isiaha Mike](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/isiaha-mike/011836/) became Bourg's most consistent and reliable player all season, leading the club to a first-place finish in Group B and to the EuroCup Finals. Mike led Bourg in both PIR (14.0) and points (12.8) per game in the team's most successful EuroCup season. He was also among Bourg's leaders in average rebounds (4.2 rpg.) and steals (1.6 spg.), ranking 10th overall in the latter. Mike stepped up when his team needed him, posting better numbers in the playoffs. Mike upped his numbers to 15.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 21.3 PIR in the quarterfinals and semifinals. He has now become the first-ever All-EuroCup selection from Bourg.

2023-24 BKT All-EuroCup First Team: Isiaha Mike, Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse

### Matt Morgan, London Lions

[Matt Morgan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/matthew-morgan/012585/) made sure to fill the baskets in his first-ever EuroCup season. He ranked fifth in scoring in the EuroCup with 16.5 points per game. Morgan scored at least 20 points in nine of his 22 appearances. He proved to be more than a scorer, too, as Morgan was among London's top three in average PIR (18.0) and assists (3.9). In just his second game ever in the competition, Morgan earned MVP of the Round honors with a PIR of 30. He was one of three players to earn MVP of the Round honors more than once this season: Morgan shared the honor with T.J. Shorts in Round 10, too.

2023-24 BKT All-EuroCup First Team: Matt Morgan, London Lions

Joventut Badalona confirmed on Monday that it has sacked head coach Carles Duran.

Carles Duran dismissed as Joventut head coach

Joventut Badalona announced on Monday that it has terminated the contract of head coach [Carles Duran](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/teams/joventut-badalona/jov/duran-carles/). The Spanish team had a quarterfinal exit to Paris Basketball in the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Playoffs and finds itself 10th in the 18-team Spanish League after going 14-14 through the first 28 games.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ca" dir="ltr">Comunicat oficial: Carles Duran<br><br>El Club Joventut Badalona i Carles Duran han arribat a un acord per rescindir el contracte que unia ambdues parts<br><br>La notícia: <a href="https://t.co/KK07xGFLeA">https://t.co/KK07xGFLeA</a><br><br>Gràcies per tot, Carles. 𝐋𝐚 𝐏𝐞𝐧𝐲𝐚 𝐞́𝐬 𝐢 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐚̀ 𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐚 𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐚 <a href="https://t.co/RSzYbf5WM3">pic.twitter.com/RSzYbf5WM3</a></p>&mdash; Club Joventut Badalona (@Penya1930) <a href="https://twitter.com/Penya1930/status/1777265254516367774?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Carles Duran's EuroCup record

The 48-year-old had been in charge of Joventut for the last six seasons, the last five of which were spent in the BKT EuroCup. In that time, Duran led Joventut to a 59-34 record and the team got as far as the semifinals, doing so in the 2022-23 campaign before falling to eventual champion Dreamland Gran Canaria.

This season, Joventut had a 10-8 regular-season record – good for fifth place in Group A – and beat ratiopharm Ulm in the eighthfinals, but a quarterfinal defeat to Paris ended its European adventure.

Over the years, Duran's side reached the Top 16 in 2019-20, the quarterfinals in 2020-21, the eighthfinals in 2021-22, the semifinals in 2022-23, and the quarterfinals in 2023-24.

Paris, having ended the regular season atop the standings in Group A, had a bye and thus begins its postseason journey, whereas Joventut Badalona are encouraged by their last-16 triumph over ratiopharm Ulm. This is a colossal test between two of the favourites to go all the way.

Paris Basketball-Joventut Badalona | Quarterfinals Highlights | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup

### Saving Joventut from relegation

Duran was appointed as Joventut head coach in February 2018 and helped the team avoid relegation from the Spanish League, with Nicolas Laprovittola – now of FC Barcelona – inspiring the team in the final weeks of the season. 

"Club Joventut Badalona would like to thank Carles for everything he has done for our club," Joventut said in a statement. 

"He has spent more than two decades defending the interests of *La Penya*, both in his first stint and in this second one, with the maximum involvement and professionalism, and always putting the interests of the team above all else. We are sure that soon he will be back competing in the place where he belongs: at the highest level."

More Joventut News

Carles Duran on the sidelines during a Joventut Badalona game in the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup season.

In terms of tactics, the finals will be richer for both teams knowing each other well.

Stats review: Key themes in the BKT EuroCup Finals

The 2024 BKT EuroCup Finals are set to tip off this week as Paris Basketball will carry its nearly unblemished record into a matchup with a Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse team that beat them by 2 points in their lone matchup in the French League back in mid-December. Both teams shot the three well in that encounter, but Bourg settled in against Paris's full-court pressure after a couple early mistakes and protected the rim well enough to notch a hard-fought comeback win at home.

### Defending Against Dominance

How well Bourg's defense holds up in a three-game series against an offense that will break the record for both points per game and points per possession figures to be the biggest key to this series. In their domestic faceoff, Bourg managed to hold their own around the basket – a real accomplishment given Paris leads the EuroCup in points scored at the rim, has shot remarkable 70% in close, and is set to break the EuroCup's record for two-point field goal percentage as well. Keeping Paris away from the rim starts with keeping them out of transition, and Bourg has done as good a job of any team in the EuroCup of not just preventing opportunities in the open floor but also defending well the ones they do allow. In their first game, it was the athleticism and activity level of their wings and forwards that proved to be the difference around the rim. Bourg is a somewhat unique defensive team from a personnel perspective as they do not play a classic, bruising center in many lineups but have mobile big men and size on the perimeter.

JL Bourg en Bresse Top 3-pointers, Deep 3'S from 03/01/2024 to 04/08/2024

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse threes in the BKT EuroCup

### Pick-And-Rolls

The mobility of Bourg's big men and their intensity off the ball will be put under the microscope in the Finals as Paris finished first in the EuroCup in both pick-and-roll scoring and efficiency. Generating a record 44.6 points per game out of ball screens, Paris's ball handlers have shot a spectacular 51% in pick-and-roll situations while their teammates have converted 54% of the shots generated by their passes. T.J. Shorts and Nadir Hifi have made Paris a real pick-your-poison proposition with the ball in their hands this season, but Bourg ranked among the top teams guarding pick-and-rolls and the resulting passes this season, doing a great job preventing cuts and closing out shooters.

Paris Basketball Top Steals from 03/01/2024 to 04/08/2024

Paris Basketball steals in the BKT EuroCup

### Drive and Kick

Bourg was one of five EuroCup teams to shoot over 40% from beyond the arc in catch-and-shoot situations this season. While its ball movement has been around the average this season, Bourg's 19 assists in that first encounter with Paris was key to the successful second-half comeback. With several players who drive an kick to open teammates, and a group of shooters who went 44% from beyond the arc on unguarded attempts, how well Bourg can use Paris's pressure against itself could flavor this series.

### Lineups

Bourg and Paris were two of this season's deepest teams, using their benches far more than average. However, the four-man unit of Jequan Lewis, Jeremy Morgan, Zaccharie Risacher, and Isaiaha Mike has come through for Bourg in big games and Paris's decision to start or bring game-changing defender Collin Malcolm off the bench is something to monitor as well. The EuroCup's move to a best-of-three format for the latter rounds of the playoffs should make this series more of a back-and-forth chess match than last year's championship game.

Paris Basketball is closing in on one of the best seasons in EuroCup history as it is setting offensive records and has lost just once in 21 games. It now heads into the finals with the home-court advantage in the best-of-three series against Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse. Mikael Jantunen will be our insider in the series, sharing his thoughts on the 2024 EuroCup Finals.

Mikael Jantunen, Paris: 'We know what's at stake'

Hello, EuroCup fans! It's been a great season for Paris so far, but I think it all started with the work that we did in August and now, we are in the part of the season where the work is starting to pay off. I know it's been a long season and it's been a good season so far, but it comes from the work we put into practice every day and that shows up on the court. So yeah, it's been a great season and we are trying to finish it strong, too. 

This is my first season with Paris and also my first with Coach Iisalo. I knew him before I came here. Actually, he coached against me in Finland. I think it was one of his first years coaching when I was playing for a youth club in Finland and he was coaching another youth club. That was the first time I remember him as a coach. Of course, I knew him as a national team player; I watched him when I grew up, but that was one of the first times he coached against me. And after that, of course, I followed his path as a coach and his results. I also talked to him in the summer when I saw him in Finland, but he had never coached me before this year.

"Playing a final is always special, it is a privilege."

He came along with six players from the same team, Telekom Baskets Bonn, to Paris. That has its own challenges, coming into a pretty much ready system, but the adjustment was pretty quick. A lot of guys know what they are supposed to do, and it makes it easier. At the same time, you have a lot of guys who can help you. You see what you are supposed to do and it makes it easier. Like, if you have four guys who played for him for a year or two already, you notice the small things and you see that maybe you are not as connected at some point. So of course, it has its challenges, but also it is a nice situation to come into a system that a lot of players were familiar with, the staff was familiar with, and it was kind of easy to jump in. There was a lot of learning and that happened in the beginning, but it made it transition pretty easy with a lot of guys familiar with it.

We are seen as an offensive-minded team but everything starts from our defense. I think that's where when we are at our best, that's where it all starts, when we get stops and then we get to play the type of offense we want to. But it all starts with our defense. Of course, we have had some great offensive games this season, but I would say that's still the focal point: being able to play solid defense. That's when we get to do the things we want to do on offense. Everything starts with team defense. 

Mikael Jantunen helped Paris Basketball reach the 2024 BKT EuroCup Finals.

2023-24 EuroCup highlights: Mikael Jantunen, Paris

The last three playoff games were a new challenge for me as I had to play at the '5' position a little bit more than usual. I am ready to play the position the team needs, so if that is the '5' man, I have to be ready to step up. I know the positions and what I am supposed to do in that position. I know I can do it. I played at the center spot before in my career, too, so it was not like I was in unfamiliar territory. But then, of course, it's always a new challenge to do that. I know what I'm supposed to do in that position. We have this next-man-up mentality for that position.

I am super excited about the EuroCup Finals! Playing a final is always special, it is a privilege. Bourg got the best of us earlier this season and they are a really good team. They have had a great season so far, too, so it's going to be a challenge for us. But at the end of the day, we are gonna play our game and going to look at trying to do the things we do well. We've practiced since August. We know the type of basketball we want to play and what it takes to win, and I think that's what we focus on. 

There is a little extra motivation because Bourg already beat us once this season. We know they are capable of beating us, so we've got to be super locked in. We know Bourg pretty well and we will take a good look at them. But as I said, it is our identity, our stuff that's gonna matter the most and those are the things we practice every day. So we just have to do that at a really high level and, if we do all that, we've got to be confident that the work we have done, the work we have put in, is going to be enough.

"This club is ambitious and making it to the EuroCup finals is a part of the process."

I know Petteri Koponen won the EuroCup because he told me about it and I had a guess that Hanno Mottola won it, but that gives me a little extra motivation. You want to be there and be able to match their success. But I think Finnish people are going to follow the finals also because of our head coach. Of course, a lot of Finnish people are interested in seeing his system and his team and then we are two Finnish people on the team, so that's a little extra special for them. Maybe some of them will travel to Paris, it is easy to get here from Finland. Hopefully, I will see some Finnish flags in the arena. I think some people will come and a lot more will be watching from home, so it is going to be nice.

This club is ambitious and making it to the EuroCup Finals is a part of the process. They want to take it to the next level. They have the facilities and the organization for it and they put in a lot of work. They want to be in the EuroLeague. That's the goal that we set out at the beginning of the season and it would be a really big thing for the club and the city. Paris is a pretty central city in Europe also, so it wouldn't be a bad place to have a EuroLeague team! But right now, it is one game at a time. Winning the title is on the players' minds and of course, we know what's at stake. Everybody is waiting and ready for it. We have a new arena, which was one of the club's goals, and are getting more and more people at the games. It's unbelievable. We have to keep performing so that fans will want to show up to the games, and we want to have a home-court advantage. We are playing in one of the nicest basketball arenas I have played in during my career and I expect all of our fans to be there in Game 1!

Paris Basketball is closing in on one of the best seasons in EuroCup history as it is setting offensive records and has lost just once in 21 games. It now heads into the finals with the home-court advantage in the best-of-three series against Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse. Mikael Jantunen will be our insider in the series, sharing his thoughts on the 2024 EuroCup Finals. Born in Helsinki, Finland, Jantunen started his career in his hometown, playing for HBA-Marsky. He also suited up for the University of Utah, Filou Ostend of Belgium and Treviso Basket of Italy before joining Paris last summer. Check back here for Mikael's thoughts until the 2023-24 EuroCup champion is crowned!

JL Bourg has confirmed that head coach Frederic Fauthoux has renewed his contract until the end of the 2026-27 season.

Frederic Fauthoux signs three-year extension at JL Bourg

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse confirmed on Saturday that head coach [Frederic Fauthoux](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/teams/mincidelice-jl-bourg-en-bresse/bou/fauthoux-frederic/) has penned a new three-year contract extension at the club, which takes his new deal until the end of the 2026-27 season.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">𝙎𝙀 𝙌𝙐𝙀𝘿𝘼 💥<br><br>Frédéric Fauthoux prolonge pour 3 saisons supplémentaires au Club ! <br><br>Communiqué 👉 <a href="https://t.co/5zqdP1fRv5">https://t.co/5zqdP1fRv5</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeRedy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeRedy</a> <a href="https://t.co/JGOUmw0Yf2">pic.twitter.com/JGOUmw0Yf2</a></p>&mdash; JL Bourg Basket (@JLBourgBasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/JLBourgBasket/status/1776574492778598493?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Fauthoux has worked wonders since arriving at Bourg in the summer of 2022, posting a 26-15 record in the BKT EuroCup and securing back-to-back playoff appearances.

"I'm very happy to be able to make this decision, which wasn't easy," Coach Fauthoux told Bourg's official club media after signing his extension. "It's a step forward and a relief because it wasn't easy. It's the best solution I could have had.

"We have a lot of things to do together, with the youngsters like [Hugo \[Benitez\]](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/hugo-benitez/010449/) and [Kevin \[Kokila\]](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/kevin-kokila/011837/) or the older guys like [Maxime \[Courby\]](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/maxime-courby/010450/) and [Axel \[Julien\]](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/axel-julien/011161/). I like it when there's a human element to our relationships, with the players, the management and the fans. At Bourg, there's a real project. Bourg has a real project, together with Julien \[Desbottes\]'s staff, with Francois Lamy, with the whole staff."

### Fauthoux's EuroCup success with Bourg

In 2022-23, the French side went 9-9 in the regular season, good for fifth place in Group B, then fell in the eighthfinals to Promitheas Patras.

Then this season, 2023-24, Bourg bypassed the eighthfinals after winning Group B with a 14-4 record, before beating Prometey Slobozhanske in the quarterfinals and defeating Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul 2-1 in a best-of-three semifinal series. Bourg will take on Paris Basketball in its first-ever EuroCup Finals appearance, starting Tuesday, April 9.

It all comes down to a single game, a one-and-done contest. Bourg returns to the comforts of its home floor, where it has a 10-1 record this season, while Besiktas boast one of EuroCup's best road accounts in 23/24 at 6-6, but whose dream ends here?

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse-Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul | Semifinals Game 3 Highlights | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup

### Impressive results in France, too

Domestically, Fauthoux's Bourg also reached the French Cup final in 2022-23, losing 74-83 to LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne, and achieved a fifth-placed finish in the French League in that same season. So far this year, Bourg is fourth in the French League and shares the same record as third-placed ASVEL. It also made it to the semifinals of the French Cup.

More Bourg News

Frederic Fauthoux on the sidelines during a Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse game in the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup season.

The French coach has guided the team to its first-ever BKT EuroCup Finals appearance

Frederic Fauthoux signs three-year extension at Bourg

The architect of the top offense in competition history, Tuomas Iisalo of finals-bound Paris Basketball has been voted by his peers as the Coach of the Year for the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup season.

Iisalo has guided his team to a remarkable 20-1 record as Paris gets ready to host Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse in Game 1 of the best-of-three championship series starting on Tuesday. Before those finals start, Paris owns the best winning rate ever seen in the EuroCup at 95.2% and is tied for the best victory total with 20. Iisalo's accomplishment is all the more impressive considering it's his first EuroCup season and his club's second.

The Coach of the Year award is among several trophies handed out to recognize the outstanding work achieved by some EuroCup participants during the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup season. The Rising Star Trophy, also voted by the head coaches, was won by Zaccharie Risacher of Bourg. The All-EuroCup Teams and the 2023-24 MVP – for whom coaches, team captains, fans and media all vote – will be announced before the EuroCup Finals begin.

The architect of the top offense in competition history, Tuomas Iisalo of finals-bound Paris Basketball has been voted by his peers as the Coach of the Year for the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup season.


Iisalo has guided his team to a remarkable 20-1 record as Paris gets ready to host Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse in Game 1 of the best-of-three championship series starting on Tuesday. Before those finals start, Paris owns the best winning rate ever seen in the EuroCup at 95.2% and is tied for the best victory total with 20. Iisalo's accomplishment is all the more impressive considering it's his first EuroCup season and his club's second.

BKT EuroCup Coach of the Year: Tuomas Iisalo, Paris Basketball

Paris's season has been divided into a pair of winning streaks most clubs would envy: 7-0 to open the season and put its grip on Group A, and then after a single misstep at home against eventual semifinalist Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul, 13 more victories in a row, including a perfect three of three in the playoffs so far.

Paris's current streak matches the EuroCup's fourth-longest ever in-season, but how Iisalo's squad has dominated is unprecedented. Its average winning margin of 19.1 points is a new EuroCup record, as is the team's 42.8% rate of wins by at least 20 points. Winning 13 of its 21 games, or 61.9%, by 15 points or more is another high-water mark in the competition.

As if that were not enough, Iisalo has his team playing some of the most exciting basketball on the planet. His team's average of 98.4 points is not only the highest in EuroCup history, but in either Euroleague Basketball competition this century. The same can be said of Paris's 62.8% two-point shooting rate, unprecedented in the EuroCup or the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. Paris also leads the EuroCup this season with 26.7 two-pointers made per game and a league-low 10.8 turnovers. It all adds up to a team performance index rating of 116.0 per game, once again a first in either Euroleague Basketball competition since 2000.

Iisalo, 41, hails from Finland, where he played his entire 14-season professional career as a shooting guard with one trophy to show for it, the 2009 Finnish Cup. He started coaching right after hanging up his playing shoes, with Tapiolan Honka, but one year later found himself in Germany with Crailsheim, where he stayed for five seasons, taking the club from the second division to the first and as high as fifth place in his last season, 2020-21. At his next stop, Iisalo guided Telekom Baskets Bonn to third place in the German League, earning a trip to the FIBA Champions League, which they won in 2023 while finishing as runners-up in Germany. He was the German League Coach of the Year in both 2022 and 2023, and won the same award in the FIBA Champions League last season.

Iisalo is said to make his practices very intense so that games will seem easier for his players, but that did not prevent six of them following him from Bonn to Paris over the summer, making the transition to the EuroCup somewhat smoother. What is sure is that Iisalo and Paris were ready to hit the ground running. They are two wins away from the EuroCup title with home-court advantage in the finals, and Tuomas Iisalo has everything to do with that soaring success to date.

Iisalo is the first Finnish coach to be voted EuroCup Coach of the Year. Aito Garcia Reneses is the only coach to have won the award twice, having done so with Gran Canaria in 2015 and ALBA Berlin in 2019.

The other previous winners were: Oktay Mahmuti of Benetton Treviso in 2009, Ilias Zouros of Panellinios in 2010, Aleksandar Petrovic of Cedevita Zagreb in 2011, Jure Zdovc of Spartak St. Petersburg in 2012, Fotis Katsikaris of Uxue Bilbao Basket in 2013, Andrea Trinchieri of UNICS Kazan in 2014, Maurizio Buscaglia of Dolomiti Energia Trento in 2016, Pedro Martinez of Valencia Basket in 2017, Sasa Obradovic of Lokomotiv Kuban in 2018, Zvezdan Mitrovic of AS Monaco in 2021, Dusan Alimpijevic of Frutti Extra Bursaspor in 2022, and Erdem Can of Turk Telekom Ankara in 2023.