Paris Basket eliminated in the quarter-finals of its first Euroleague season

The Parisians were eliminated in three games by Fenerbahçe in the Euroleague quarter-finals, with a final defeat in overtime on Tuesday.

A wild first season in the Euroleague, which ended in the quarterfinals. The Parisians, beaten (98-88) at home in overtime on Tuesday, April 29, were soundly eliminated by Fenerbahçe in three straight games. Despite the encouragement of the kop, the resources and energy deployed to secure an overtime, Paris Basketball was unable to snatch a fourth round.

Five days after losing 89-72 in Istanbul after an 83-78 loss in the first game, the Parisians put up a magnificent fight in a blazing arena. Nadir Hifi (24 points) and TJ Shorts (29 pts, a Euroleague record tied), spearheading their team, kept hope alive in a match where Paris mostly chased the score. Wade Baldwin missed the match point at the buzzer, giving the 8,000 spectators an overtime that was, however, without any suspense: 8-0 from the start for Fenerbahçe, thanks to seven points from Tarik Biberovic.

This season, the Parisians have set a record winning streak for a club in the French league (10 in the fall), and have taken the scalp of some big names on the continent, including Real Madrid, in the play-offs , at home (81-73). "I told the players that I was proud of what we had accomplished in this first season in the Euroleague. We had to play 70 matches this season, and we were not in the running for victory in only one or two: it is a physical and mental feat that even the big teams, sometimes, cannot achieve," declared Tiago Splitter, the Parisian coach.

The Parisians, who received an invitation for the current season, are not guaranteed to return to the Euroleague next season. But if their European season ends, they still have nearly two months to win another trophy after the Coupe de France, lifted Saturday (91-90 against Le Mans). This is the third trophy in just 15 months of the young history of this club, which stunned Europe for seven months.