Paris Basketball secured its third consecutive victory under the guidance of Julius Thomas. The youngest head coach in Euroleague history has started his tenure spectacularly, leading his team to a convincing win against Bologna (82-103) earlier in the week, before triumphing again this Thursday against Olimpia Milan (103-93), the competition’s other Italian team.
For this victory, the new coach relied on an exceptional performance from Nadir Hifi, who shone in the first half, scoring 19 of his 25 points. Veterans Amath M’baye (19 points) and Derek Willis (16 points) also played crucial roles, particularly in securing the win in the final moments.
The game began perfectly for the home team: a forced turnover by the Parisian defense, followed by a three-pointer from Justin Robinson (3-0, 1st minute) in just 20 seconds. This showcased the fast-paced style of play that Paris seems to have rediscovered since the German coach’s arrival. However, Milan quickly responded, scoring its first 8 points by driving into the paint to take the lead (6-8, 3rd minute).
A Dominant First Half
However, this did not unsettle Paris, who immediately hit the accelerator, led by Nadir Hifi, who scored 8 points in the first quarter, including a successful long-range shot (18-12, 6th). Following Hifi’s lead, and Derek Willis’s (7 points in the period), perfectly assisted by “the Prince of Paris” (Justin Robinson), the French champions embarked on an impressive 15-2 run (23-12, 7th).
Although Leandro Bolmaro attempted to halt Paris’s momentum (23-15, 8th), the capital’s players did not falter. After dominating the end of the first quarter (30-19, 10th), marked by Milan’s sixth turnover, they maintained their intensity, notably thanks to Justin Robinson, who completed a spectacular “and one” to kick off the second quarter in the best possible way (33-19, 11th).
Hifi Ignites the Court
Paris successfully maintained and even extended its comfortable lead. Exceptional in the first half, Nadir Hifi disoriented the Italian defense. He first executed a behind-the-back pass fake to finish with his right hand for an “and one” (43-25, 14th). A couple of possessions later, the French player broke away on a fast break, drawing a foul while launching the ball from beyond the arc, resulting in another “and one” (47-27, 14th). The lead continued to grow, and the adidas arena erupted in excitement.
Hifi successfully instilled this confidence in his teammates, as evidenced by Amath M’baye, who was flawless from beyond the arc (55-34, 16th). With 19 points already, the guard seemed to have extinguished Milan’s hopes, as nothing was going right for them. A prime example of this inefficiency was a sequence where Josh Nebo and Zach Leday failed to score despite four consecutive attempts near the basket (58-34, 18th).
Milan’s Comeback
Just before halftime, Leday hit a crucial three-pointer (64-43, 20th), reigniting his team’s hopes. Milan started the second half with much greater intensity, hitting the hosts with a 7-2 run (66-50, 22nd). This Milanese resurgence visibly frustrated Julius Thomas’s squad. Five minutes into the third quarter, the picture was clear: 5 fouls for Paris, none for Milan, and the lead narrowed to just 11 points (72-61, 25th), driven by a dominant Josh Nebo under the basket (6 points in this period).
Despite this challenging period, Paris managed to maintain a lead of at least 10 points until the end of the quarter. However, on the final possession, Devin Booker successfully narrowed the deficit (85-76, 30th). Paris immediately responded with a spectacular dunk from Derek Willis, assisted by Amath M’baye, a play reminiscent of their days at Anadolu Efes (87-76, 30th).
M’Baye, the Decisive Factor in Crunch Time
The lead continued to shrink at the start of the final quarter, narrowed to just two possessions by a Devin Booker left inexplicably open twice (88-84, 33rd). A three-pointer from Armoni Brooks even brought Milan back to within a single point (88-87, 34th). It was at this crucial moment that M’baye broke the silence of the adidas arena with a perfectly balanced “and one” (91-87, 34th).
Moments later, “the Prince of Paris” followed suit with his own “and one,” though the free throw was not converted, further electrifying the crowd (93-87, 35th). But it was truly thanks to the performance of the 36-year-old power forward that Milan finally capitulated. With another three-pointer, his third, followed by free throws, M’baye sealed the game (99-87, 37th).
This victory stands as a landmark game for Paris, who experienced an evening full of emotions.
