The Chicago Bulls beat the Detroit Pistons (126-108) for the NBA gala game in Paris

Europe 1 with AFP 11:48 p.m., January 19, 2023

The Chicago Bulls beat Detroit (126-108) Thursday in the hall of Paris Bercy, filled and won over to their cause during the second game in the history of the North American Basketball League (NBA) relocated to France.

Full sound system, top French basketball players, NBA players who have become legends: the American-style "show" was on the agenda at Bercy.

The Pistons a little less.

Clumsy (40% in shooting), too individualistic in attack and friable in defense, Detroit, a franchise with three NBA titles (1989, 1990 and 2004), was quickly overtaken by the Bulls, led by their trio made up of DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic and Zach LaVine (72 points between them).

The Michigan team, in full reconstruction for several years, still offered real opposition to the Bulls in the last quarter, in vain.

The score remained in favor of the Bulls, and respected the logic of the Eastern Conference ranking, where Chicago is tenth while Detroit is last.

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Hayes misses

Highly anticipated by spectators, the French leader of the Pistons Killian Hayes did not shine (four points to two out of fifteen shooting, eight assists), no doubt nervous for his first NBA game at home.

Winner by applause during the presentation of the players just before the match, the 21-year-old player (1.95m) failed to follow the advice of his coach Dwane Casey before the match: "Amuse- you! Don't put too much pressure on yourself."

Best player in the history of French basketball, Tony Parker had perhaps paralyzed him before the meeting by throwing at him, at the microphone: "Killian, we have to ensure this evening."

Parker wasn't the only basketball star to step onto the floor decorated with an Eiffel Tower for the occasion.

The French Mickaël Piétrus, Rony Turiaf, Joakim Noah and the Americans Ben Wallace and especially Earvin "Magic" Johnson were applauded by Bercy.

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90s rivals

But the real star of the evening was undoubtedly the Bulls franchise, which was still able to measure its popularity outside the American borders, built during the years when it was worn by Michael Jordan.

Great rivals in the 90s, Bulls and Pistons have lost their splendour, but their presence in Paris is still a major event for French basketball.

Bercy vibrated, Chicago won, the stars of the Bulls shone.

An American evening before the return of the spectacular NBA next year to the French capital?

"Probably," his boss Adam Silver said on Wednesday, on the eve of the game, already calling this year's operation a "success".