Paris Basketball fell 104-93 to Valencia Basket at the Adidas Arena on October 23, 2026, dropping to 18th place in the EuroLeague standings after a fourth defeat. Despite a sellout crowd with 500 club-invited guests, including local merchants, students, firefighters, and sanitation workers affected by the current crisis in France, the capital club could not overcome a sharp-shooting Valencia side led by TJ Shorts.
Returning to face his former club for the first time since his 2025 departure, former French league double-MVP TJ Shorts orchestrated Valencia’s offense with 25 points and 9 assists for a 33 performance index rating. Revoir ce public familier, les entendre scander mon nom, ça me touche,
Shorts told EuroLeague TV after hearing fans chant his name. Un grand merci aux fans français qui continuent à me supporter… Entendre des chants “MVP” pour moi à l’extérieur, c’était une première.
Valencia Offense Exploits Paris Defensive Lapses
Valencia’s fast-paced offensive identity caught Paris off guard on its home floor. Armoni Brooks matched Shorts’ intensity with a 29-efficiency rating, slicing through a Paris defense that failed to execute head coach Max Lefèvre’s game plan. On a insisté ces trois derniers jours sur le fait qu’il fallait les forcer à driver et non shooter, et on ne l’a pas fait,
Lefèvre explained to EuroLeague TV regarding the team’s failure to contain the perimeter threat.
A strong end to the half from @bczalgiris with the @JValanciunas SLAM! #MotorolaMagicMoment @Moto I @bczalgiris pic.twitter.com/LhLod77vdl
Playing without sidelined contributors Nadir Hifi, TJ Warren, and Frank Ntilikina, Paris relied on Jared Rhoden, who led the hosts with 20 points. Joël Ayayi logged extended minutes at the point guard position, finishing with 6 points and 5 assists after Tyson Etienne was excluded from the contest.
Zalgiris Kaunas Dominates ASVEL with Shooting
In Friday’s other marquee EuroLeague fixture, Zalgiris Kaunas cruised to a 105-85 victory over ASVEL, extending its dominance over the French side after outscoring them by 56 total points across two matchups last season. Kaunas controlled the tempo from the opening tip by converting 18 of 37 attempts from beyond the arc for a 49 percent clip.
Lithuanian international Jonas Valanciunas contributed 15 points and 8 rebounds, while American Carsen Edwards added 16 points to a Zalgiris attack that posted 105 points—its highest mark in the competition since February.
ASVEL Struggles Prompt Leadership Concern
ASVEL welcomed back its primary trio of Patty Mills, Jae Crowder, and Tremont Waters, but the defensive frailties remained evident. Nate Sestina lamented a lack of physical toughness at halftime after trailing throughout the match.
Il y a beaucoup de choses qu’on aurait pu faire mieux. Mais c’est surtout défensivement qu’on doit progresser,
Tony Parker admitted to EuroLeague TV following the final buzzer. The defeat marks a third European loss for ASVEL, dropping the club to 17th position in the EuroLeague table after seven rounds of play.
Next Fixtures in European Competition
Paris Basketball looks to halt its four-game slide in the coming days, while ASVEL continues its search for defensive stability ahead of subsequent EuroLeague rounds. Meanwhile, Sylvain Francisco’s anticipated reunion with Zalgiris Kaunas awaits November 19, when Panathinaikos travels to Lithuania.
⛹️♂️ R7 Euroleague – Fin du QT2🟢 Zalgiris Kaunas 5️⃣0️⃣⚪️ LDLC ASVEL 3️⃣4️⃣📺 en direct sur @beinsports_FR
Related reading
