Villeurbanne (AFP)
Villeurbanne was reassured by narrowly beating Nanterre (96-92) Tuesday in overtime, after leading by 14 points at the break in a match postponed from the 6th day of the French basketball championship.
Chris Warren had the match point for Nanterre at 83-83, on a last free throw that he missed, and the two teams then left in an overtime where Thomas Heurtel (23 points) was decisive, scoring his two first three-point baskets, after five failures.
The roller coaster continues: defeated at the Astroballe against Dijon (84-76), the Rhone had won by 23 points in Limoges (83-60) then had relapsed at Le Mans last Tuesday, beaten 105-96 after extra time .
But they had reacted well in the quarter-final of the Coupe de France on Saturday against Boulogne-Levallois (74-73).
Against Nanterre, Asvel first widened a gap of 12 points in the first quarter, then led by 14 points at the break (50-36), which could have ensured him a quiet second period.
Patatras, the Nanterre players returned to a point at the end of the third quarter that they largely dominated (60-59) and put the doubt in the heads of the players of TJ Parker, now orphans of their European destiny.
Very clumsy at three points, Asvel even let Nanterre lead several times in the money time, until this match point missed by Warren.
Thanks to this victory, Asvel goes back to sixth place in the Elite while Nanterre, passed very close to a nice shot at the Astroballe, remains entangled at the bottom of the table, because of seven defeats in his last nine matches.
© 2021 AFP