Paris had not won a single away match since November 15. In the EuroLeague, this series had lasted since… October 24. This now ends at the start of 2026. Traveling to Istanbul to play Anadolu Efes, another club member of the group of 6 which brings up the rear of the ranking, the Parisians gleaned a precious victory. One that allows you to start the year better than it ended, and will be good for your morale.
The match was not perfect, messy, with a lot of turnovers (34 in total) and missed shots on both sides. Paris was caught in a false rhythm which did not necessarily suit its game. The money-time, during which no points were scored for more than three minutes, is the best illustration of this. It took a new 3-point step-back one minute from the end of a Nadir Hifi MVP (27 points at 8/16 on shots) to break the deadlock (77-82), and allow Paris to win. “I try to help my team as best I can, but I wasn’t alone tonight” he admitted after the match to EuroLeague TV.
A little context embellished this meeting between two teams struggling in the EuroLeague. First, the Anadolu club is celebrating its 50th anniversary at the start of 2026, as indicated by the large logo in the middle of the floor. But there were also reunions for several players.
Special match
For Amath M’baye (10 points) and his former team, for teammates in the French team Isaïa Cordinier (0 points) and Nadir Hififor the three French people from Anadolu and their French opponents in the evening in general… All under the eyes of‘Illiana Rupert et Julie Germanplayers of Fenerbahçe, and Mohamed Diarrastill stuck in Türkiye with Cholet, who were all in the stands. So obviously, this match had a special flavor for several players.
But the Parisians especially wanted to unlock their away victory counter, which had been stalled for two and a half months on the European scene. The opportunity was great against the worst team in the EuroLeague at home. The rather gloomy atmosphere of the Sinan Erdem Dome did not pose a great challenge to the visiting players. They were therefore able to take advantage of this context and the numerous errors of the Turks (19 ball losses) to achieve this victory.
Beyond Hifi’s 27 points, four players exceeded 10 points: Jared rod (15), Justin Robinson (11), Math M’Baye et Sebastian Herrera (10). Only the first was really effective, with its 17 rating. “An important step” of ” process “ of this season, which could “accelerate” with this victory? In any case, that’s what Francesco Tabellini hopes.
“It’s a very important victory for us, there were a lot of things at stake. The result is a consequence of the discipline and mental strength of my players. It’s happened to us a lot of times this season to waste a lead. There we were going to do the same in the last quarter. But it’s great that they managed to bounce back like that, they did a great job, I’m proud of them…
It’s a collective victory. It is our goal to set up a collective project where everyone participates. The system is new, everything is new, so it takes time. But the desire to play together has always been there. Sometimes, with the stress and pressure, it was a little lacking. But it’s part of the process. Now we are going to speed up this process, this match was an important step for that. »
Francesco Tabellini after the meeting
HIFI SINKS THE DAGGER THREE! 🗡️
That CLUTCH gene 🧬 @thenadirhifi pic.twitter.com/ByE9nsRwJo
— EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) January 7, 2026
