Paris basketball endured a difficult opening night in the EuroLeague, falling 91-72 to Panathinaikos on the road on Thursday, while ASVEL secured a hard-fought 84-74 victory over Maccabi Tel-Aviv at home under club president and coach Tony Parker.
Paris Struggles in Athens Opener
The capital club found itself overwhelmed, dropping its European season opener after completely losing ground in the second half. Under the direction of Maxime Lefèvre, Paris failed to replicate the form that earned them the Supercup title at Roland-Garros just days prior over Roanne.
Panathinaikos established early control by winning the opening quarter 31-17. Though Paris attempted to rally in the final period behind Tyson Etienne’s 17 points, the Greek side capitalized on a 27-13 surge after the break to put the game out of reach.
Several French players featured prominently for Panathinaikos in the rout. Sylvain Francisco led the charge with 18 points, 4 assists, and 2 rebounds, proving a constant thorn in the side of Nadir Hifi and his teammates. Mathias Lessort added 15 points and 9 rebounds, while Guerschon Yabusele contributed 13 points and 5 rebounds to anchor the squad’s dominant performance.
ASVEL Defeats Maccabi Tel-Aviv in Villeurbanne
In contrast to the capital side’s struggles, ASVEL provided club president Tony Parker with a winning start on the bench. The Villeurbanne club fended off a resilient Maccabi Tel-Aviv side to take an 84-74 victory at home.
The hosts entered the fixture looking to rebound from an exit in the Supercup against Roanne and a winless preseason campaign. After a level opening period finished 19-19, ASVEL built a 42-32 halftime advantage and extended that margin to as many as 15 points.
Maccabi responded behind Jaylen Hoard, who posted 15 points and 6 rebounds, forcing ASVEL to withstand a late push. Jay Crowder led all scorers with 19 points for the hosts, supported by veteran Australian Patty Mills with 15 points and French Marc-Owen Dada-Fodzo, who contributed 14 points and 5 assists in his competition debut.
Next Steps
Both French clubs continue their EuroLeague campaigns next week as they adjust to the demands of the continental schedule. Fans and analysts can follow official league updates, match schedules, and box scores on the official EuroLeague platforms.
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