Check out the Game 1 predictions from EuroCupbasketball.com staff members.
Semifinals predictions: Game 1, Paris vs. London
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4 Mins read
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 will keep on going
by Igor Petrinovic
When I filled out my EuroCup Challenge bracket, I had Paris go all the way and sweep its way through the playoffs. I am (still) sticking to it. Yes, London has been clicking on all cylinders in both playoff games. Head coach Petar Bozic's men dismissed Turk Telekom by 23 and U-BT Cluj-Napoca by 12 points, averaging 95.5 points while allowing 78.0. They got Sam Dekker back and David Nwaba is playing excellent basketball ever since joining the team. But there is a reason Paris is 18-1 this season, that sole loss coming back in late November. T.J. Shorts is hard to stop, and Paris has so many great weapons, so much quickness and athleticism, and move the ball so well. I say they protect the home floor in the series opener. My pick: Paris.
The Lions will roar in Paris
by Geoff Gillingham
Petar Bozic's London Lions have proven to be a better road team than they are at home, going 8-1 on their travels in the regular season before beating U-BT Cluj-Napoca – a team with a 7-2 home record prior to the playoffs – in its own back yard in the quarterfinals. London has a curious history with Paris, something you should read more about here, but I think we'll see big performances from Sam Dekker, David Nwaba and Gabe Olaseni at the brand-new Adidas Arena. Paris's up-tempo style of play should make things difficult, however the Lions have enough quality to cause plenty of problems for the hosts and, in my eyes, steal Game 1 on the road. My pick: London.
Paris will prevail in the opener
by Javier Gancedo
There is little doubt about it, Paris and London will be a fast-paced semifinal and it will be a matter of outgunning the opponent. London got better since these eam last met, with David Nwaba joining the team and Sam Dekker returning from an injury he suffered just after halftime of their second game. In that Round 13 showdown, London limited T.J. Shorts to a season-low PIR of 6 but lost 94-77 in the French capital. I expect Shorts to confirm he is the front-runner in the MVP race, leading Paris to a very convincing victory. The core of this team is used to winning big games and that will matter in Game 1. My pick: Paris.
London will pull off a stunner
by Frankie Sachs
I can't back this one up except to say that somewhere in my gut, I have a hunch that London takes this game. When picking my EuroCup Fantasy Challenge team, I kept wanting more and more London players. I am assuming, of course, that London arrives at full strength. And if so, the Lions improved lineup with Olaseni, Dekker, Nwaba and Grantham all healthy and in uniform could make the difference. Not that I am picking London to win the series, but I have a feeling about its chances in the opener. My pick: London wins a squeaker.
Paris is primed for Game 1 win
by Frank Lawlor
Paris has not only forged an 18-1 record but has done so with historic numbers in the same group as London, obliterating opponents by 19.1 points per game. True, Paris's dynamic, fast-paced game is more or less up London's alley and the British visitors have proven themselves even better on the road than at home. But the same can be said of Paris, making this the rare series that could easily have two road winners before Game 3. That said, Paris deserves the nod in Game 1 for what it has done until now, which is simply mow down every obstacle in its path with a blaze of speedy execution that has been all but impossible to stop. My pick: Paris.