Paris Basketball created a sensation by winning against Red Star Belgrade with a score of 102-92 during the 18th day of the EuroLeague. A victory which ends a series of six consecutive defeats for the French team, led by its leader Nadir Hifi.
A collective performance that revives Paris in the EuroLeague
Five Parisian players finished with 10 points or more in this match which was controlled from start to finish. Nadir Hifi, current second best scorer in the EuroLeague with an average of 19.6 points, contributed 15 points, 2 rebounds and 6 assists. “(It’s a) Great victory and very good match against a team which has been playing fantastically well since the arrival of (Sasa) Obradović. (It’s a) Very good match, we were excellent in defense. We held them to just 58 points in the first three quarters, which was good for us.”declared the French leader to TV Arena Sport.
This defensive performance was the key to Parisian success, allowing the team to move up to 16th place with a record of 6 wins for 12 defeats. Red Star fell to 10th place with a record of 10-8.
MVP ambitions
At only 23 years old, Hifi has great ambitions for the rest of his career. Currently trailing his compatriot Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot in the scoring rankings (0.1 point difference), the Frenchman is already clearly thinking of winning the MVP trophy of the competition one day in his career:
“In the future – clearly. I will definitely be one of the best players in Europe in the years to come, at least I hope so. Now the most important thing is to help the team get wins every week. To be MVP, my team has to be at the top, so you have to think about the team first, then that. »
After his 5/20 on shots in Madrid, Nadir Hifi had another approach to his game: 19 points at 6/9 on shots and 6 assists in 22 minutes against Cholet on Sunday, 15 points at 4/6 and 6 assists in less than 18 minutes on Tuesday against Red Star Belgrade, each time for two victories. His 6 assists against Belgrade equal his best total of the season, an approach that he justifies tactically:
“I’m looking to include all my teammates. This is what we need to win games. I give more passes because of the situation I find myself in. Every opponent is afraid of my shots, so I have to use that to distribute the ball and include my teammates. »
An interest in basketball in Belgrade, and its atmosphere
Already seen in the stands during the home matches of Red Star and Partizan Belgrade, Hifi has not hidden its interest in the Serbian atmosphere:
“The main reason is basketball, I love this game. The crowd is incredible, I love this kind of atmosphere wherever it is, and in Belgrade it is especially unreal to watch, and also to play in such matches. »
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Asked about a possible future transfer to one of the two Belgrade clubs, the French international said he was clearly interested:
“Certainly, why not. Both teams have big goals and fans who expect a lot from the players, but also from the team. This can be a great challenge for me in the future. »
It remains to be seen whether it will one day take place. But in the meantime, Nadir Hifi is determined to bring Paris back close to the Top 10.
