This rivalry is set to go to another level, with a place in the EuroCup Finals up for grabs
Semifinals breakdown: Paris Basketball vs. London Lions
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When Paris Basketball and the London Lions first entered the BKT EuroCup in the 2022-23 campaign, they both had the same goal: to get to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague as soon as possible. Now, in just their second year in the competition, just a best-of-three semifinal series separates them from a spot in the EuroCup Finals.
Next Tuesday night (20:45 CET), Paris will host London at the brand-new adidas arena in Game 1, before the series heads to the English capital for Game 2 next Friday night (20:30 CET). Should a Game 3 be required, Paris will play the role of host thanks to its superior regular-season record.
Not their first rodeo
This is a matchup that has become a must-watch affair in the EuroCup, with the two clubs having played their part in building up this rivalry. So far, though, it has been Paris who has thrived most in this fixture, holding a 3-1 record against the Lions, including a 102-106 overtime win at Copper Box Arena back in Round 4. Tuomas Iisalo’s squad then did the double over Petar Bozic’s men in the French capital in Round 13, coming away with a 94-77 victory.
Yet, the picture looks somewhat different now as, particularly in the case of London, both sides are playing some excellent basketball at present. This is unchartered territory, too, for the second-year clubs, as Paris reached the quarterfinals last season while the Lions made it to the eighthfinals. In 2022-23, London fell 80-93 at home to Paris in Round 9 but got some revenge in Round 18 with a 85-96 triumph at Halle Georges Carpinter.
London is rolling
After closing the 2023-24 regular season with a 14-6 record, the Lions blew Turk Telekom Ankara away in the eighthfinals by winning 100-77 – thus surpassing last year’s last-16 accomplishment – before grabbing a 79-91 win at U-BT Cluj-Napoca in the quarterfinals. Both of those victories were equally as impressive, but for different reasons.
By beating Turk Telekom, let alone doing so in convincing fashion, London knocked off one of the hottest teams in the EuroCup – the Turkish side was 7-2 in the second half of the regular season – and also made up for last year’s last-16 exit to Joventut Badalona. It was progress. Then, heading on the road to face Cluj, which was 7-2 on its home floor, the Lions made up for the absence of Gabe Olaseni, who stayed in London due to the birth of his first child, by only trailing once (0-2) all night long.
Those two wins came with Sam Dekker on the floor, with the 29-year-old having made his return to action post-injury in the last 16. Not only does Dekker give London an All-EuroCup-level player, but he is able to dovetail perfectly with an individual who has taken the EuroCup by storm since making his competition debut in Round 14, David Nwaba. Together, Dekker and Nwaba combined for 34 points and 14 rebounds against Cluj, which had no answer for the American duo. Paris will need to be wary of Dekker and Nwaba, but also Olaseni, Matt Morgan, Jordan Taylor, Conor Morgan…
Paris looks the real deal
This season has been almost perfect for Paris, which went 17-1 in the regular season and won Group A, allowing it to bypass the eighthfinals. That meant Paris immediately matched its achievement from last year, when it was knocked out at the quarterfinal stage by eventual champion Dreamland Gran Canaria. This time, though, the French side ended up making light work of Joventut en route to an 86-70 victory that guaranteed Coach Iisalo’s side would make club history with a first-ever semifinal appearance.
That contest was the first to be held at adidas arena this season, too, giving Paris a 1-0 record in its new gym. The Paris fans were treated to yet more heroics by star backcourt duo TJ Shorts and Nadir Hifi, who together had 36 points in the quarterfinals and will no doubt be circled on London’s scouting report coming into this series. It’s not just Shorts and Hifi, though, as the team-oriented play instilled by Coach Iisalo ensures that Paris is a tough matchup night in, night out.
Leading the EuroCup in PIR (116.6), points (98.6), turnovers committed (10.3) and two-point shooting accuracy (62.6%) is one thing, but the French team also holds its opponents to a competition low in PIR (78.9), steals (4.9) and two-point shooting (51.0%). It has the third-best defense, too, allowing 78.6 points per night. Paris will therefore be looking to ensure that London’s third-best offense (90.8 ppg.) can’t get going.
The main matchup
There are several fascinating matchups in this series, but whoever comes out on top between Hifi and Matt Morgan could help determine which team makes it to the EuroCup Finals. Hifi has shown on several occasions this year that he has the clutch gene, coming up big for his team down the stretch of games, as he adds a punch from both inside and outside the arc for Paris. Having averaged 16.8 points for his team this season, shooting 60.2% on two-pointers and 38.1% from three, the talented 21-year-old has only failed to reach double digits in points once in 2023-24.
Morgan, however, is London’s answer to Hifi. He’s also able to score from all areas of the floor, posting an identical 16.8 points to Hifi. Yet, following a 16-point outing against Turk Telekom, he had almost as many points (8) as turnovers (5) in the win at Cluj. London is talented enough that it was able to overcome an off night by Morgan, but if it is to overcome a Paris team that has been on fire this season, it will need the 26-year-old to rise to the occasion and, as a consequence, free things up for the likes of Dekker, Nwaba and Olaseni to do some damage.