The young guard has already emerged as one of ASVEL's leaders this season
Theo Maledon showed against Baskonia that he is having fun again
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Regular Season
Round 4 of 34
Group Regular Season
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If the opening four games of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season is any indicator, LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne’s opponents had better be careful this season. That is because Theo Maledon is having fun again playing basketball.
Maledon set a series of career highs in ASVEL’s thrilling 76-69 comeback victory over Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, including 25 points, 5 three-pointers, 3 steals, 2 blocks and a PIR of 36. He also chipped in 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 7 fouls drawn.
Still just 23, Maledon’s performance was highlighted by two big three-pointers in the final two and a half minutes, including the backbreaker triple with 53 seconds to play. Maledon also dished out two assists and had two free throws as part of a five-point possession as ASVEL reeled off 17 straight points in the final five minutes of the game. That came immediately after Baskonia had turned an 11-point deficit into an 11-point lead with a 9-31 run.
“Just not giving up, staying together. The last couple of EuroLeague games, we gave up leads in the fourth quarter and weren’t able to come back,” Maledon told EuroLeague TV after the game. “Thanks to the fans and coaches, we were able to stay together and do the little things that ended up helping us get the result and the win we needed.”
When asked what it was like hitting those big threes – after which he raised his arms in joy both times – Maledon said: “It was amazing. That’s what you dream of when you are a kid: having big-time plays in a big-time game. I’m just grateful and thankful to have this game.”
Maledon has been putting up some big numbers since returning to Europe after four seasons in the NBA. The former Oklahoma City Thunder guard is averaging 17.5 points on nearly 50/40/90 percent shooting, 5.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.8 steals, 6.0 fouls drawn and 24.5 PIR.
“[The fourth quarter comeback] was tough. Theo helped us, hitting some tough shots. And we found a new reason to finish the game,” added Neal Sako, who contributed 14 points and 12 rebounds for his third straight double-double.
ASVEL head coach Pierric Poupet has put a lot of faith in Maledon, who is playing 28 minutes a game in the EuroLeague this season – significantly more than he did in his final three seasons in the NBA. Those three campaigns from 2021 to 2024 all saw him spend some time in the G League. And now he is back at the club he debuted with as a professional when he was just 17 years old and played 22 EuroLeague games for in the 2019-20 season before heading to the NBA.
Maledon said he feels welcome back in France and that is a big reason why there is a smile on his face so much.
"Thanks to everybody for making sure I feel comfortable; I am back to playing basketball and having fun. That’s all that matters.”
Be warned, the rest of the EuroLeague.