Dijon dominates Asvel, Paris reassures itself against Bourg-en-Bresse
Orphan of Laurent Legname and three executives, all of whom left for Bourg, Dijon had a delicate start to the season. But Nenad Markovic has found solutions and the JDA is running at full speed in 2022. Saturday evening, David Holston (20 points, 12 assists) and his teammates bent Asvel at home (82-75), to clinch a seventh victory in eight matches of Betclic Elite.
In this remake of the Championship final last June, Dijon made the effort in two stages. Markovic’s men took a 15-point lead after a series of free throws from their captain Holston (40-28, 16th). Stunned, Asvel reacted. Victor Wembanyama signed the best game – statistically – of his season. The young interior made its deterrent force speak in defense (5 against) and was available in attack (14 points). After his only winning shot of the match, and a double pass from Matthew Strazel, Villeurbanne regained the advantage (43-47, 23rd).
But TJ Parker’s players took the full brunt of the second Dijon wave, interpreted by two actions by Rashard Kelly against the two “skyscrapers” of Asvel. The strong winger from Dijon (28 points) first slammed a fierce dunk with the fault of Kostas Antetokounmpo (2.08 m). Then, a nice feint allowed him to score against Wembanyama (2.19 m), a new fault as a bonus (55-55, 28th). Relaunched, Dijon made the difference thanks to Holston, in success at mid-distance. The JDA returns to a victory for its victim of the evening, third in Betclic Elite.
Paris breathes against Bourg
In the race to maintain, Paris Basketball, by disposing of Bourg with authority (83-72) and a regained defensive intensity, made the good operation of the evening, the only team among the last seven of Betclic Elite to have imposed this weekend. What to breathe and go back to 14th place (8-14). The nightmare of Bourg, defeated for the third time in a row, continues, and the club even lost one of its executives, winger Maxime Courby, out in the sixth minute with a serious knee injury.
On the Parisian side, after a difficult start (26-33, 15th), we tightened the bolts and overturned the table (49-38, 24th). Ismaël Kamagaté (21 points, Betclic Elite record, 10 rebounds) lit up the Parisian evening, rewarding the audience with a few stratospheric dunks, perfectly supported and served by Dustin Sleva (15 points) and Ryan Boatright (7 assists).
” Everything was not his fault, and the faults are always shared, but since the departure of Kyle O’Quinn, some things are better in the group. There was a problemadmitted Parisian coach Jean-Christophe Prat. Regaining victory is really good for morale. Six weeks without winning (since January 29 in Pau), it’s like seven days in Koh-Lanta! It ends up weighing. But the group has always remained united and we have worked during these last weeks. This win makes that work a reality, and it could be the start of something. »
In the fight for a place in the play-offs, Nanterre suffered before beating Cholet (79-71). Benjamin Sene (17 points, 7 assists) led the Ile-de-France effort after the break to allow his team to stay in the top 8. In the fourth game of the evening, Limoges won with authority at Portel (73- 59). International winger Nicolas Lang finished with 13 points and 9 assists for CSP.