Paris Basketball Secures First Euroleague Win Against Zalgiris Kaunas

Paris Basketball earned a pivotal win, overcoming Zalgiris Kaunas 82-78. After leading at halftime and being overtaken in the final quarter, the capital club found the strength to secure the victory. This win reverses a difficult start to the season, which saw Paris lose their first two Euroleague games.

Nadir Hifi, stepping up as a leader, finished the game strongly with 21 points. TJ Warren contributed significantly early on, scoring 14 points before his ejection at the start of the final quarter. For Zalgiris, Jonas Valanciunas managed 12 points and 6 rebounds, falling short of expectations. Carsen Edwards and Azuolas Tubelis combined for 37 points but, like their team, faltered in the closing minutes, going scoreless in the last two minutes.

TJ Warren's Crucial Role

Similar to Tuesday's game against Partizan, Paris started strong. Nadir Hifi's drives and Jared Rhoden's energy troubled Zalgiris early (8-3, 3rd minute). Zalgiris's main threat, Jonas Valanciunas, faced defensive pressure from Paris's taller interior players. His replacement, Azuolas Tubelis (9 points in the first quarter), took over, helping Zalgiris take the lead with an alley-oop (17-19, 10th minute).

Fueled by a strong performance from TJ Warren (8 points at halftime), Paris initiated a 6-0 run to start the second quarter (23-17, 12th minute). This momentum carried through substitutions. Despite their good start, Paris struggled with three-point shooting initially (1 for 11). Jeremy Morgan then broke the drought (34-29, 18th minute), allowing Maxime Lefèvre's team to head into halftime with a lead (41-38, 20th minute).

Carsen Edwards Finds His Rhythm

Paris maintained their pace after the break, with TJ Warren performing well near the basket (6/6 after three quarters). In contrast, Carsen Edwards faced shooting difficulties (4/14 after 30 minutes) until a remarkable circus shot changed his momentum (48-42, 25th minute). This spark helped him, but not his team, who trailed at the end of the third quarter (61-53, 30th minute).

The game shifted with TJ Warren's ejection (63-56, 31st minute). Paris's offense stalled, and Carsen Edwards seized the opportunity, hitting two consecutive three-pointers to give the visitors the lead. This awoke Jonas Valanciunas, who followed an and-one play with a block on Hifi, appearing to give Zalgiris a decisive advantage (71-76, 36th minute).

Hifi Dominates the Money Time

However, Allan Dokossi responded with two baskets inside (76-76, 37th minute). Then, a three-pointer from Léopold Cavalière, followed by one from Nadir Hifi (79-78, 38th minute), put Paris back in front with less than three minutes remaining. Hifi took charge, converting a crucial shot (81-78, 39th minute). He then extended the lead with free throws (82-78), sealing Paris's first Euroleague win of the season. This foundational victory provides momentum for their upcoming game at Le Mans on Sunday and their home Euroleague fixture against ASVEL on Wednesday.