Le Paris Basketball a débuté sa campagne d’Euroligue par une défaite 91-72 contre le Panathinaïkos jeudi, marquant les débuts européens de Maxime Lefèvre comme entraîneur. Submerged from the opening ten minutes, the visiting French club struggled to match the physical depth of a Greek side powered heavily by returning French internationals and dominant inside play.
Maxime Lefèvre took charge of the Parisian bench for this European fixture, running into an opponent eager to reassert itself on the continental stage.
The Greek hosts managed the fixture despite missing several key American stars in the stands, including Kendrick Nunn and Nigel Hayes-Davis due to injuries. Obradovic turned decisively to his French contingent to steer the squad, and the gamble paid immediate dividends. Sylvain Francisco and Guerschon Yabusele set the tone early, though a buzzer-beating three-point attempt by Yabusele at the end of the first half was waved off by officials, leaving the score at 42-31 in favor of Panathinaikos after twenty minutes.
First-Quarter Storm and Rebounding Deficit
Paris found itself trailing heavily right from the opening whistle, finishing the first quarter down 31-17 as Parisian guard Nadir Hifi faced suffocating defensive attention from Jerian Grant. Sebastian Herrera attempted to keep Paris afloat through perimeter shooting, but the visitors ultimately lost control of the tempo.
Rebounding proved to be a critical chasm throughout the contest. Panathinaikos dominated the glass with 43 total rebounds to Paris’s 27, converting 15 offensive boards into crucial second-chance points. Having remained unbeaten on their previous visits to the OAKA over the prior two seasons, the Parisian side simply could not replicate past successes against the physical pressure applied by the Athens club.
Mathias Lessort and the French Contingent Take Control
The game slipped further away from Paris in the third quarter, where Yabusele tallied seven of his 13 total points alongside five rebounds, helping push the home lead to 69-44. Mathias Lessort delivered a dominant performance in the paint, punishing his former club’s defense with 15 points, nine rebounds, nine drawn fouls, and three blocks, earning a game-high performance index rating of 28.
Nearly two years removed from suffering a fibula fracture, Lessort showcased his recovered mobility in the final period by converting consecutive steals into fast-break dunks that widened the gap to 81-60 by the 33rd minute, effectively sealing the outcome. Francisco added 18 points and four assists, sinking key three-pointers whenever Paris attempted to mount a brief rally.
Late-Game Sparks and Upcoming EuroLeague Fixtures
Despite Hifi being restricted to 11 points on 4-of-13 shooting alongside three turnovers under the heavy defensive pressure of Panathinaikos, newly arrived American guard Tyson Etienne provided a spark off the bench with 17 points. Etienne helped orchestrate an 8-0 scoring run to start the final period, but the deep Greek rotation proved too resilient to mount a serious comeback.
Worth a look
