ASVEL head coach Tony Parker made the decision to leave veteran leaders Patty Mills and Jae Crowder at home for Thursday’s EuroLeague road match against Real Madrid to protect their bodies ahead of a crucial domestic fixture, BeBasket reported.
The decision came to light after ASVEL fought toe-to-toe with Real Madrid for 29 minutes in Spain before ultimately sliding to a 111-92 defeat, according to BeBasket. Parker faced questions about the absences from Spanish journalist Sergio Martinez and explained that the demanding schedule requires careful management of older players. Parker noted that Mills is 38 years old and Crowder is 36, adding that they cannot sustain a workload of four games in seven days.
The visiting side was also missing Tremont Waters and Juhann Begarin for the trip, leaving a depleted roster to handle the Spanish powerhouse. Real Madrid capitalized on the fatigue and rotation constraints, with Andrés Feliz scoring a game-high 26 points—including eight three-pointers on 11 attempts—to earn a 30 efficiency rating, as reported by BasketEurope.com. The same outlet noted that Real Madrid converted 19 of 45 attempts from beyond the arc and dominated the glass with 42 rebounds to ASVEL’s 24.
Managing Minutes for Veteran Leaders
Parker emphasized the physical toll of the European calendar during his post-match remarks. “Patty Mills and Jae Crowder are very important, but I also have to manage them,” Parker told reporters, according to BeBasket. “They cannot play four games in seven days, so I decided to leave them at home. On Saturday, we have a very important Betclic ELITE match against Limoges.”
🤯 No todos los días uno tiene la oportunidad de poder hacer una pregunta a una leyenda del baloncesto mundial como Tony Parker.🤔 Me llamó la atención la ausencia de Patty Mills y Jae Crowder y mi pregunta fue sobre ello:🗣️ “Son muy importantes, pero también tengo que… pic.twitter.com/inKXqc4dTJ”
Mills enters the 2026-27 EuroLeague season averaging 15.6 points and 2.8 assists per game, while Crowder contributes 10.6 points and 4.2 rebounds. By resting them in Spain, ASVEL ensured both former NBA players were fresh for the domestic trip to Beaublanc on Saturday, October 17, at 7:00 PM local time. The strategy reflects the constant juggling act European clubs face when balancing continental fixtures with domestic league battles.
Théo Maledon and Real Madrid Pull Away Late
Despite the absences, ASVEL showed resilience for nearly three quarters. Trailing 64-48 early in the third quarter after a basket by Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot, the French side launched a 23-7 run capped by a three-point play from Marc-Owen Fodzo Dada to tie the score at 71-71, BasketEurope.com reported. However, former ASVEL guard Théo Maledon answered immediately with a basket and a foul to spark a decisive response.
Maledon finished with 16 points, five rebounds, and nine assists in 24 minutes against his first professional club, earning a 26 efficiency rating.
Travel Plans and Upcoming Fixtures
The defeat drops ASVEL’s EuroLeague record to two victories and four losses following a buzzer-beater defeat against Crvena Zvezda earlier in the week. Real Madrid improved to 3-3 with their third win across all competitions.
ASVEL shifts its focus immediately to domestic play with a Saturday clash against Limoges, where the CSP is scheduled to retire Stéphane Ostrowski’s number 9 jersey. Limoges sniper Nicolas Lang, who played for ASVEL from 2015 to 2018, told BeBasket that he expects a tough test against a deep visiting roster despite the opponent’s congested travel schedule. Following the domestic encounter, ASVEL will travel to Lithuania to face Zalgiris Kaunas on October 23 in EuroLeague action, while Real Madrid visits Maccabi Tel-Aviv on October 22.
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