T.J. Shorts shined for the hosts, who never trailed after the first quarter.
Paris outguns London in Game 1, 99-86
Game Report
3 Mins read
Paris Basketball moved closer to its first-ever BKT EuroCup Finals by downing the London Lions 99-86 at Adidas Arenas in Game 1 of their best-of-three semifinals series on Tuesday. Paris has a 1-0 lead in the series, which now moves to London for Game 2.
T.J. Shorts paced the winners with 23 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals. Nadir Hifi added 22 points, Tyson Ward had 11 while Justin Simon and Mikael Jantunen each had 10 for Paris. David Nwaba led London with 24 points. Gabe Olaseni added 15 while Sam Dekker and Tarik Phillip each had 11 for the guests.
Paris shakes off slow start
Olaseni got London going with a three-point play and a layup before Donte Grantham gave the visitors a 0-7 lead. Sebastian Herrera and Hifi each struck from downtown and Ward scored down low to get Paris within 8-9. London found a new go-to guy in Nwaba, who scored 4 points in a 0-6 run. Hifi kept pushing Paris, getting help from Simon and Mehdy Nguoama to bring the hosts within 18-19. Hifi scored again, Shorts found his first points and Simon's layup gave Paris its first lead, 26-24. Shorts and Herrera kept their team in charge, 30-27, after 10 minutes.
Nwaba keeps London in the game
Dekker made his second triple early in the second quarter. Leon Kratzer dunked twice in a 9-0 run that Herrera capped with a triple for a 39-30 Paris lead. Grantham took over with a dunk off the baseline but Simon and Hifi soon made it a double-digit game, 42-32. Nwaba stepped up with 8 quick points and Olaseni scored twice in the paint to give London hope at 52-46. Conor Morgan's three-point play and Shorts's jumper fixed the halftime score at 54-49.
Paris takes off
Jantunen hit a triple right after the break and then Shorts followed Ward's coast-to-coast layup with a bomb from deep downtown, prompting London to call timeout at 62-49. Shorts capped a game-breaking 14-0 run with a wild three-point play for a 66-49 Paris lead. Nwaba and Dekker tried to change things for London but Shorts remained unstoppable and Collin Malcolm struck from beyond the arc to keep Paris in charge, 71-53. Paris kept running its offense through Shorts and Hifi, boosting its margin to 79-57 after 30 minutes.
Hosts keep a safe lead
Nwaba tried to ignite London's comeback with 9 quick points early in the fourth quarter, singlehandedly bringing London within 79-66 with over 8 minutes left. Ward scored around the basket and Simon added a driving layup that gave Paris fresh air at 83-66. Shorts hit a jumper and fed Ward for a corner triple that sealed the outcome, 88-68. London did not give up but Paris fans had plenty of time to celebrate an important, no-doubt-about-it victory!
Game Videos
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/31d2f38e-82c2-406d-9ee8-b84c3f9bb801.jpg]()
Paris Basketball-Real Madrid | RS Round 16 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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Hayes’s block on Feliz! Motorola Magic Moment
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LDLC ASVEL Vileurbanne-Paris Basketball | RS Round 15 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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EuroLeague & Friends: Spanoulis's start, the play of Maledon and Shorts...
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TJ Shorts: 'They're going to continue to doubt me...'
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Olympiacos Piraeus-Paris Basketball | RS Round 14 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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TJ Shorts: 'We found our energy'
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/2770484b-7a2a-40f7-9d12-e7bf0689d4fb.jpg]()
Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv-Paris Basketball | RS Round 13 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/721a96c8-b75b-47fb-ae1e-bbac8270816a.jpg?crop=1171%3A658%3Anowe%3A155%3A74]()
Thunder dunk by Kevarrius Hayes! Motorola Magic Moment
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/rqHknWewwgU/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Paris Basketball-Virtus Segafredo Bologna | RS Round 12 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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TJ Shorts: 'We're taking it game by game'
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/682d4129-3f07-4c67-a998-91e30a90a6b0.jpg]()
Anadolu Efes Istanbul-Paris Basketball | RS Round 11 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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Shorts breaks Poirier's ankle! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:09
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/792c7725-bc50-433d-b859-3a20b4ccb96b.jpg?crop=1214%3A683%3Anowe%3A45%3A33]()
Malcolm throws it down! Motorola Magic Moment
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/PjpIeli7J0k/maxresdefault.jpg]()
FC Barcelona-Paris Basketball | RS Round 10 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:56
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TJ Shorts: 'It was my whole team stepping up'
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/86b0777d-c4eb-47a5-8f92-55f2634799e5.jpg]()
Paris Basketball-Zalgiris Kaunas | RS Round 9 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 01:18
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TJ Shorts: 'This was an all-around team effort'
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/Y6MhglxthpI/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Paris Basketball-Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade | RS Round 8 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:49
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/11/07/um6QkIp0Xa60CRKnQ6pWsr5wz32bslV1-1731017848593.jpg]()
Tiago Splitter: 'We just kept fighting'
- 00:59
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/11/01/wRc5ZkYbwdCKq9rmuUeXd48FHV4QSzD2-1730498030922.jpg]()
Mikael Jantunen: 'This was the most physical battle we've had so far'
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/b1e3930a-5498-4a09-8246-59932dd74673.jpg]()
Paris Basketball-Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz | RS Round 7 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/5a3fea11-d35d-4452-9c45-bcc6dbf0fbba.jpg]()
ALBA Berlin-Paris Basketball | RS Round 6 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/eacbc26e-7c30-4c68-9ab8-5d753112a10c.jpg]()
TJ Shorts | RS Round 5 MVP | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/10/24/x792eLZ4PakTlCyLl1EWuJdydDa5f0EY-1729801852560.jpg]()
Tiago Splitter: 'TJ Shorts was a monster'
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/Yl3bm2anffE/maxresdefault.jpg]()
AS Monaco-Paris Basketball | RS Round 5 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/a56915b1-ff36-4c3f-84ad-d12c9a6d9a53.jpg?crop=1213%3A682%3Anowe%3A16%3A126]()
TJ Shorts: 'Monaco vs. Paris is going to be a true rivalry'
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/juqkMUTFrtE/maxresdefault.jpg]()
FC Bayern Munich-Paris Basketball | RS Round 4 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:36
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/10/17/VYOptcaeD3AjXF5PzikMbfgUCzPH9HDi-1729199322994.png]()
Sy's huge dunk! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/xGkJFwBb2P0/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Paris Basketball-Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens | RS Round 3 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 01:09
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/10/15/uCGe5ySgDdf9hq25A9eozaAJeGNeQXxn-1729029297972.jpg]()
TJ Shorts: 'It's been a great day'
- 00:16
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/4dc81ed6-42e7-429b-a06e-4d976d640f48.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A152%3A154]()
Malcolm’s steal and slam! Motorola Magic Moment
- 03:46
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/10/11/HAMOF5uBjwCuKwvwnxH7uRSyo9bLbOmq-1728681341189.jpg]()
EA7 Emporio Armani Milan-Paris Basketball | RS Round 2 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:17
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/39f53613-42e0-409a-b8bf-dc7ff7efb844.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A268%3A0]()
Shorts to Hayes for the big slam! Motorola Magic Moment
- 04:16
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/ef0b413b-05a4-443f-8609-d16c7e4df62d.jpg]()
Paris Basketball-Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade| RS Round 1 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 01:01
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/04/12/WS98UlvVbm3cP1oVjzli60lg7snN0SjJ-1712957932367.jpg]()
TJ SHORTS | Finals MVP | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup
- 00:10
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/c1152142-90ca-4b57-8803-621d4950db63.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A270%3A112]()
Magic Moment: Shorts to Kratzer alley-oop!
- 03:45
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/04/12/6PB7eiiO7dOluznt5nhPfiSkEvHL3tM7-1712952065955.jpg]()
Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse-Paris Basketball | Finals Game 2 Highlights | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup
- 03:36
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/04/09/5fAiwflOoamhHQO9FxWTAoSX4YDaVTTj-1712696388703.jpg]()
Paris Basketball-Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse | Finals Game 1 Highlights | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup
- 00:16
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/88b0b228-b788-442f-8ecf-c60e60d46db5.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A135%3A146]()
Magic Moment: Ngouama to Simon!
- 00:11
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/e37b5383-daa5-4151-8a65-4c3cf112e572.jpg?crop=1238%3A696%3Anowe%3A18%3A44]()
Magic Moment: Simon's fastbreak dunk!
- 00:08
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/3061c539-bc6b-4e6e-8ae0-745ce899718a.jpg?crop=1293%3A727%3Anowe%3A30%3A114]()
Magic Moment: Kratzer's alley-oop dunk!
- 01:27
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/04/09/FWHlZEPJXFRDLr914VHwFcIXpo9a03as-1712652442200.jpg]()
Tyson Ward, Paris: ‘It would be crazy, surreal’
- 01:41
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/04/09/uh3O05p5pNv81MCKzxg90qaEyHGY0fch-1712650833608.jpg]()
TJ Shorts, Paris: ‘Hopefully we can do something special’
- 00:53
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/04/04/rYyAtaNbgjIeWXexII2Ap4h1ckm79LpD-1712212729406.jpg]()
TJ Shorts | Semifinals MVP | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup
- 03:50
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/03/29/sayVeCUcIEwv1pr6YtSXwZccpvpRxscp-1711749890370.jpg]()
London Lions-Paris Basketball | Semifinals Game 2 Highlights | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup
- 00:32
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/03/29/dx2Hgz6boA7FxQ04YH2mRwNwOvcXGffW-1711748573929.jpg]()
Magic Moment of the Night: What a monstrous dunk by Ward!
- 00:17
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/abb2946e-0fb2-4401-a9e1-d8af35f0f6f7.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A129%3A170]()
Magic Moment: Connor Morgan with a huge dunk
- 00:14
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/f079861a-3bf1-42a6-b48e-044672a5ba77.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A91%3A50]()
Magic Moment: Dekker with a two-handed slam-dunk
- 00:12
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/db200755-83d3-4901-bd7c-d432102ff6ef.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A231%3A164]()
Magic Moment: What a monstrous dunk by Ward!
