Even beaten in the Euroleague by Real Madrid, Asvel "never gives up"

• Asvel conceded their fourth defeat of the season in the Euroleague, Tuesday at Astroballe, against Real Madrid (74-87).

• Close to a huge slap shortly after half-time (- 21), the players of TJ Parker still displayed a very combative face then to hang on.

• The Villeurbanne enclosure, sold out on Tuesday, sometimes struggles to ignite as much as during the breathtaking endings of the match won against Anadolu Efes Istanbul and CSKA Moscow.

At l'Astroballe (Villeurbanne),

The 5,560 spectators of the Astroballe this time did not have the right to a furious outcome as against Anadolu Efes Istanbul (75-73), CSKA Moscow (70-68) and Kazan (85-82).

Led during the entirety of its 10th Euroleague match of the season, Tuesday against Real Madrid (8-20 after 5 minutes of play), Asvel logically lost (74-87).

Heavily handicapped by the injuries of five players (Lighty, Diot, Howard, Wembanyama and Morgan), the Villeurbannais mark time with three defeats in their last four games, in all competitions.

Highlights ... @ FCauseur1 leads @RMBaloncesto to third road win! #EveryGameMatters pic.twitter.com/s5fKL2DS2R

- Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) November 16, 2021

"We came across a very great Real Madrid team, it must be admitted," said Asvel's back Paul Lacombe.

OK, we took zero rebound in the first quarter, but because they simply didn't miss a thing.

It was pretty amazing.

“Devoured throughout this first period (24-33), during which only the amazing Elie Okobo (16 points, 26 in the end) kept his team in the match, TJ Parker's players still have a positive record in the most prestigious European competition (6 wins and 4 losses).

A rout avoided, thanks to an improbable 16-3 inflicted on - 21

The dream of reaching the Top 8 in April therefore obviously remains relevant before welcoming Barça on Friday (9 p.m.). Not enough to help the Villeurbanese coach to put things into perspective. Introducing himself with a very dark gaze at a press conference, Tony Parker's younger brother could not digest the start of his group. And if this very marked disappointment of losing against such a cador, three weeks after the feat against CSKA Moscow, symbolized the club's new ambitions?

“No, last year, I was already just as disappointed after each defeat in the Euroleague, assures TJ Parker.

Already that I don't like losing in video games… ”This mentality reflected on a team which was heading straight for its first rout of the season just after half-time (54-75, 22nd).

But an improbable 16-3 then allowed the Villeurbanne to dream of a hold-up, - 8 to five minutes from the buzzer.

Paul Lacombe recounts this beautiful sequence.

We fought to come back.

The good thing is that you never give up.

We do not accept to take 20 points, even against such a team.

"

"It is more an audience of spectators than supporters"

Undermined by a Real that looks like a French team (51 points for the quartet of tricolors Heurtel-Yabusele-Poirier-Causeur, including 25 for the latter in just 18 minutes), this fighting spirit has not escaped the public's attention. 'a sold-out Astroballe. “It had been years since there had been such fervor in the whole room so often, believes Cécile, who joined in 2016 the only group of supporters of the club, the Green Gones [70 members in the kop]. Maybe it's related to the style of the Euroleague, which has become much more spectacular. "

"Frankly, the Euroleague, it always sends, it has nothing to do with the French championship," continues Romain (26), basketball fan and regularly present at the Astroballe.

At his side, Vincent (48 years old) nuances the idea of ​​a permanent euphoria in the Villeurbanne enclosure: “In fact, it only ignites in a

really tight

.

It is more an audience of spectators than supporters.

If there is not the basket which sets fire in the last minutes, it remains calm as tonight ”.

"We can identify more with the Euroleague than with the NBA"

Suffice to say that if the Astroballe was sold out on Tuesday, just like against CSKA Moscow, the question of filling in the future Arena of Décines, scheduled for the end of 2023, may arise, given its capacity announced around 12,000 places in basketball version. The sound system may swing a mythical

to celebrate a three-point bombinette by Elie Ekobo, a group of friends also remain skeptical about the atmosphere set in Villeurbanne, except when it comes to boo dear Rudy Fernandez in unison. “Until then, it's not that hot in the stands when it's not super-tight. The public does not know how to put sufficient pressure to whistle whistles from the referees which could have been important tonight, ”start Jérémy and Seydou.

Like them, Thibaud still wanted to subscribe for the 17 home Euroleague matches (and not for the French championship), for 220 euros.

"Asvel is playing well this season and the Euroleague allows you to discover big players in all the teams," he says.

We can identify more with this competition than with the NBA, because it is a basketball that is much closer to what we do.

»Seydou and Jérémy hardly hold back their laughter, the three accomplices evolving in Departmental 3 in Francheville (Rhône), where the priority for the next training on Thursday is to optimize the winning Beaujolais Nouveau-Raclette combo.

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• Sport

• Asvel

• real Madrid

• Tony Parker

• Lyon

• Basketball

• Euroleague

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