Basketball: "The word is proud," praises Parisian coach Splitter despite elimination

Beaten for the third time in as many matches on Tuesday by Fenerbahce (88-98 after overtime) , Paris Basketball was knocked out in the Euroleague quarterfinals. "We made some mistakes in the first half," lamented Parisian coach Tiago Splitter. "Every point counts. We didn't always use our fouls in the first half. In the second half, we were better, more balanced. It's hard to play against a team that switches on every screen. We weren't good enough from 3-point range to take a real advantage. 26.7% shooting (8/30) isn't enough to beat a team like Fenerbahce. They have shooters, rim protectors, experience, they're a great team."

"Our Euroleague season is over," said Splitter, a former Brazilian center named last summer , on the eve of Paris's first season in Europe's most prestigious basketball competition. "I just told them (the players) that I was proud of them, of what we accomplished in our first Euroleague season. Mentally, physically, the efforts they had to make to stay in shape, to be competitive... This group is resilient. I'm very proud. The word is proud."

Splitter, who once again praised the level of the "best Euroleague point guard," TJ Shorts (29 points, the game's top scorer), conceded that he didn't know "who will be there next season" in the squad. "But I also told them that the job isn't done. The Euroleague is, but the job isn't done." An allusion to the French championship, where Paris lost in the final against Monaco last year. The capital club is 3rd in Betclic Elite and well on its way to once again competing in the playoffs at the end of the season.