Aurélie Sacchelli, Media365, published on Friday February 24, 2023 at 10:25 p.m.
ASVEL lost by one point (89-90) against the reigning double European champion, Efes Istanbul, by cracking in the last seconds.
What disappointment for ASVEL… The triple champion club of France almost offered the scalp of the double title holder of the Euroleague, Efes Istanbul, but he cracked in the last seconds! Against the Istanbul club, which is certainly less brilliant this season and is not even in the Top 8 with ten games remaining, ASVEL led 89-86 with 53 seconds remaining, then 89-88 thirteen seconds later with two free throws by Will Clyburn. But Dee Bost committed a fatal foul five seconds from the buzzer on this same Clyburn, who did not shake when returning his throws and giving victory to his team, with a score of 89-90. Efes has therefore just won a twelfth victory this season, at the end of a match which turned out to be very close.
ASVEL didn’t give up, but…
If the Istanbulites had started the match well by leading 18-23 at the end of the first quarter then 23-31 in the 13th, ASVEL responded with a 10-0 and returned to the locker room with a four-point lead (49 -45). The Villeurbannais then remained in the lead for a large part of the third quarter, before completely cracking at the end, conceding a 13-0 (61-72, 30th)! But TJ Parker’s men didn’t give up, going 21-10 to tie the game at 82-82. There was then 3’33 to play and ASVEL held on for three minutes, but no more, and therefore had to bow, despite 20 points from Nando De Colo and 15 from Youssoupha Fall. The winners of the Leaders Cup are penultimate in the standings, five wins from eighth place with nine games remaining. The end of the European season is likely to be very long. Next match: against Real Madrid (2nd) next week.
Villeurbannais markers: Mathews (7), Bost (7), Diot (7), Tyus (7), Risacher (5), De Colo (20), Fall (15), Lighty (4), Obasohan (9), Pons (8)
