Paris Levallois clinches Last 32 spot by beating Bonn in overtime


Paris Levallois secured a Last 32 ticket after beating Telekom Baskets Bonn 87-80 after overtime. Paris improved to 4-5 and joined CAI Zaragoza in claiming the last two spots to advance from Group A. Bonn dropped to 3-6. The game was close throughout. It was tied entering the fourth quarter, but Paris built a promising 5-point lead, however Angelo Caloiaro led Bonn back with a three to tie it before scoring the go-ahead basket in the final minute of regulation. A Paris steal got Landing Sane the game-tying layup to send it into an extra session at 70-70. There Blake Schilb shined to help the hosts to the historic win. Sharrod Ford posted 30 points and 11 rebounds for the winners, while Schilb totalld 15 points and 10 assists. Sane added 11 points and 10 boards and Louis Labeyrie scored 11 too. Tadas Klimavicius led Bonn with 19 points, Benas Veikalas scored 18, Caloiaro finished with 11, Mickey McConnell added 10 pints and EJ Lawrence dished 10 assists in defeat.

The teams traded baskets early before a Sane triple and then free throws put the hosts up 11-6. Bonn came right back with a Klimavicius triple. Sane and Ford kept Paris on top, but a Steve Wachalski three made it 17-15. After Ford scored inside and a Ryan Brooks slam for the visitors, the first quarter ended 19-17. A Klimavicius tip in tied the game at 19-19. It was 23-23 midway through the second quarter when Dionte Christmas hit a three for the hosts. Schilb and Veikalas traded threes and EJ Lawrence kept Bonn within 31-29, but Ford scored in the paint and Mike Green netted a pair of free throws for a 35-29 halftime lead.

Veikalas nailed a pair of threes and added a layup early in the second half to close the gap to 40-39. Ford countered with 5 straight points to keep Paris in control. Lawrence responded with 5 quick points and Veikalas sank his fourth three of the game before Klimavicius capped a 0-9 run for a 45-48 Bonn lead. Ford’s basket-plus foul and a Green three evened the game at 53-53 at the end of the third quarter. Labeyrie scored Paris’s first 7 points of the fourth quarter to grab a 60-57 lead. He then assisted Christmas on a three-pointer. A jumper by Lawrence had Bonn within 63-61 midway through the quarter. Ford boosted the hosts to 68-63 with a free throw, but Bonn responded through Caloiaro, whose three tied the game before he put the visitors up 68-70. After a Caloiaro layup gave Bonn a 2-point lead inside the final minute, Green’s steal set up Sane for the game-tying layup. Veikalas missed a three to win it and the game went to an extra session.

Schilb shined with the first 5 points of the overtime period. A pair of McConnell baskets kept Bonn close and Klimavicius tied the game at 76-76. Schilb came through again for Paris and Green grabbed an offensive rebound and fed Ford for an 80-76 edge. Free throws by Schilb and Ford put the hosts up 84-78 inside the final minute en route to a historic victory.