Paris (AFP)
Villeurbanne won in his room at the Astroballe 82 to 70 against Nanterre Tuesday night and is at the gates of the final of the Championship of France basketball leading the series two wins to zero, the best of five games.
The third act of this semi-final will be played on Friday (8:45 pm) at the Palais des Sports Maurice-Thorez Nanterre, with a first qualifying ball for the players of Zvezdan Mitrovic, great favorites for a 19th title of champion of France.
"Our coach tells us to play aggressively in defense and he's right, that's the way to play, you have to put energy in. It's not over. You just have to win a match. more to go in the final, "commented the leader of Asvel, Mantas Kalnietis, at the microphone of RMC Sport.
The Lithuanian finished with 14 points, as well as Miro Bilan and Amine Noua, the best markers on the Rhone side.
Nanterre has done better than resist the Asvel, which will be the only representative of hexagonal basketball in Euroleague from autumn. The Ile de France were led by Icelandic Haukur Palsson (18 points), but at limited playing time in the last 20 minutes, due to a third personal foul early in the third quarter.
"We did not manage to pass in front, we ran behind the score all the game", regretted Lahaou Konaté, the back of the JSF at the microphone of RMC Sport. "We're counting on our fans to be there, we know it's going to be super hard, two days of recovery that will be beneficial because we play with bobos," he added.
Asvel can hope to become the second club, after Paris UC in 1963, to achieve the double league Women / Elite, since the girls of Lyon Asvel were crowned champions of France two weeks ago.
In the second semifinal, Monaco also leads their series 2 to 0 against Dijon. The Roca Team, the most fit team since the beginning of the return phase of the regular season, will be able to validate their ticket for a second consecutive final in case of victory in Burgundy Thursday night (20:45).
? 2019 AFP