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
Article
3 Mins read
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 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.
Having lost Game 1 in Paris 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.
TJ Shorts 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.”
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.”