Paris (AFP)
The leader Dijon, despite a reduced workforce, won at his neighbor Chalon-sur-Saône on Saturday (90-81) during the late 21st day of the French Basketball Championship while Boulogne-Levallois and Orléans validated their ticket for the play-offs.
Thanks to its 26th victory of the season, the JDA retains its first place ahead of Lyon-Villeurbanne (2nd) and Monaco (3rd), winner in the last minutes at home against Boulazac (76 to 69).
Elan Chalon, however, has moved closer to relegation one day from the end of the regular season.
Strasbourg, which chained a 22nd success, in Châlons-Reims (79-72), put a little more hand on fourth place.
The SIG will go to its pursuer Bourg-en-Bresse (5th) on Monday.
Boulogne-Levallois, winner 75-69 of Roanne, validated his ticket for the play-offs, as did Orléans who, after the results of the day, returned to this stage of the competition for the first time in nine years.
The last place for the play-offs will be played between Limoges, which scuttled at Portel (70-64) and Le Mans, victorious at the house of Nanterre (95-86).
The CSP and the MSB face each other on Tuesday in a match that promises to be explosive.
The National Basketball League (LNB) has decided to reshape the format of the Elite play-offs, with quarter-finals in a single set, on the floor of the first four of the regular season, on June 20 and 21, then a Final 4 in Rouen on June 24 (semi-finals) and June 26 (final).
The clubs will be deprived of their internationals called up for selection for Olympic preparations or Olympic qualifying tournaments.
According to the daily L'Equipe, the basketball union (SNB) called a strike for these quarter-finals, because the players had asked that the LNB give up a final phase this year.
The teams have been playing a series of matches since March at a very high pace, in an attempt to make up for the delay between the end of October and the beginning of March due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
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