Paris Levallois hands Strasbourg its first loss


Paris Levallois stormed back into the race to reach the Last 32 by beating Group A leader Strasbourg 76-61. The hosts dominated the first half for a 43-26 advantage. Strasbourg threatened with a big third quarter to get within 5, but Paris regained control with at the start of the fourth and marched to an important win. Paris improved to 2-3, while dropping Strasbourg to 4-1. Mike Green paced the winners with 19 points, Blake Schilb added 15, Nicolas Lang 10 and Sharod Ford posted 8 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks. Ali Traore was unstoppable inside with 21 points and 15 rebounds for Strasbourg, while Tony Dobbins netted 11 and Matt Howard tallied 8 points and 10 boards.

Paris jumped in front as Ford and Landing Sane scored the game’s first two baskets. Antoine Diot got Strasbourg going with a triple before assisting Traore. The big man put Strasbourg up 3 before Green buried a three to even things at 9-9. Maleye Ndoye and Lang pushed Paris ahead 16-10. Diot hit back with a jumper, but Louis Labeyrie’s offensive rebound and slam made it 20-14 after 10 minutes. Tadija Dragicevic free throws brought Strasbourg within 4, but Schilb heated up quickly. He scored 5 points before JBAM added a basket on the offensive glass for a 27-16 lead. Dobbins responded with a three-pointer and a score on the offensive glass. Schilb scored 5 more points to establish a double-digit margin and Green’s second three made it 35-21. Traore scored twice to bring Strasbourg within 10, but Paris cruised to a 43-26 halftime advantage after triples from Lang and Sane.

Traore and Matt Howard helped Strasbourg climb back a bit at the start of the second half. Lang hit a three and Ford scored inside to keep the hosts in control at 47-32. Traore cut the difference to 11, but Green hit another triple. Dobbins made it 54-44 with a three. In the final minutes of the third quarter, Dobbins converted a basket-plus-foul and Howard scooped up a miss and dunked to close within 56-51. The Paris defense held Strasbourg to just a single basket in the first three and a half minutes of the fourth quarter. Schilb made a three and a layup and Labeyrie dunked as Paris stormed ahead 66-53. Labeyrie inside and Green from the line made the outcome clear at a 17-point difference with time to spare as Paris closed out a valuable victory.