The Parisians had not won at home on the European stage since November 13. After six consecutive defeats in the EuroLeague, including two at home, Paris Basketball has finally found its way to success at the Accor Arena. Building on their 23-point victory against Cholet and their good performance in Madrid despite the defeat last week, the Parisians confirmed this evening against Red Star Belgrade of Sasa Obradovic. The latter were overwhelmed, especially in a third quarter where the hosts put on a show.
As a whole, Paris regained its playing identity by scoring 102 points with 23 assists, even if the gap could have been greater without a little relaxation at the end of the match. The Americans Justin Robinson (16 points, 8 assists) and Lamar Stevens (14 points) pushed the team to victory. For his part, Nadir Hifi did not force himself to try to recover his place as top scorer in the EuroLeague, recovered by his compatriot Timothé Lwawwu-Cart. The little Parisian prince scored 15 points in 18 minutes, and became more of a passer with 6 assists. The smiles were back on faces, during and after the match.
HOW DO YOU SAY MERRY CHRISTMAS IN SERBIAN ??????? pic.twitter.com/TLagjj8qta
— Paris Basketball (@ParisBasketball) December 23, 2025
A welcome victory
Despite its full squad, Paris was considered a narrow outsider by the bookmakers before the match. This even though Red Star arrived without 6 absentees, and lost the splendor of its start to the season. The fault of the terrible series of defeats in Paris. But positive signals could be drawn from the latest one, at Real Madrid (95-90).
“We showed a good face in Madrid last week, it was frustrating not to come away with victory, but we saw some positives. Since then we have won at home in the championship and tonight is great” explained Nadir Hifi after the match, at the EuroLeague TV microphone. A very different speech from the one he gave before this match in Madrid, claiming that everyone in the team “had to look in the mirror. »
They won’t have to do that tonight. The Accor Arena has found its Paris Basketball of the big nights. Even if they sometimes rushed a little in the first half, the desire was there. The 50-point mark was exceeded at half-time, despite a Chimon Mountain on the basis of a triple-double opposite (15 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists at halftime). But the Serbian individuals (31 points of Jared Butler18 Codi Miller-Mcintyre) were no match for the Parisian collective. This particularly stood out in a spectacular third quarter.
Ignite the Accor Arena
Upon returning from the locker room, the men Francesco Tabellini first distinguished themselves through their activity. Offensive rebounds grabbed (10 in total), second chances converted, and constant intensity. It is then that Jared rodalready customary in Madrid and against Cholet (countered this time), launched a series of highlights in the last two minutes, with a huge poster dunk. Enough to wake up the crowd and the Parisian bench. Just after, the other American Lamar Stevens cracked a “too small” after an and-one obtained on a Serbian outside. And finally, Mohamed Faye concluded this beautiful sequence and the quarter with an authoritarian putback dunk, to push the Parisian lead to +21 at the end of the third quarter.
WAIT WE GOT ANOTHER ONE.
LET US INTRODUCE YOU JARED RHODEN.#MotorolaMagicMoment | @Moto https://t.co/y0ZRaQRhxI pic.twitter.com/xnXk95J6I1
— EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) December 23, 2025
The gap therefore narrowed slightly at the end of the match, due to a slight relaxation. But nothing dangerous for the Parisians, who had secured a sufficient lead. This EuroLeague victory, the first in a month and a half, is not “just one step, one piece of the puzzle” according to Justin Robinson. We will have to capitalize on this good form to garner as much as possible. Three trips will be coming for them between December and January: to ASVEL, Anadolu Efes and Hapoel Tel-Aviv.
“I am happy with the victory. It’s always nice to win the last game before Christmas, it’s a special feeling. I wish everyone listening a Merry Christmas… Honestly, it could have happened against Zalgiris, or against Madrid. But we remained resilient, we re-mobilized after these short defeats, we pushed to stay together. Now we look like a real team, many players contributed, several exceeded 10 points, several protagonists as the match progressed. It feels good…
It wasn’t easy losing narrowly every time, and going home frustrated. We needed to regroup, to rebuild. THIS is only the first step, we must continue to build, but here we can benefit from having managed to leave this fragile mood. »
Francesco Tabellini after the meeting at the EuroLeague TV microphone
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