Betclic Elite (J23): JL Bourg overturns Paris, ASVEL dominates Limoges

This Sunday, on the occasion of the 23rd day of Betclic Elite, JL Bourg went on to win on the Paris court (85-95). A little later in the afternoon, ASVEL regained momentum by easily defeating Limoges (90-73).

Paris Basketball is struggling and suffered a defeat this Sunday afternoon on their court, marking their fourth consecutive loss in all competitions. The team that caused this setback is JL Bourg, which made a good deal and reinforced its position in the top 6 of Betclic Elite after the 23rd day (85-95).

JL Bourg overturns Paris

Things had started well for Paris, quickly taking the lead in this encounter with a 10-0 run in the middle of the first quarter. The players from Bourg-en-Bresse tried to make a comeback but lacked success, especially as Paris extended their advantage thanks to M’Baye (20 points) shooting a perfect 100% (7/7). Despite the lead exceeding ten points, JL Bourg managed to reduce it slightly at the end of the first quarter (23-16, 10th). In the second quarter, both teams fought back and forth, with Paris keeping their advantage at halftime (44-38, 20th).

After the break, JL Bourg gradually gained ground under the leadership of McGhee (24 points) and Moulare (15 points). By the middle of the third quarter, Frédéric Fauthoux’s team turned the tide and took the lead (65-69, 30th). Struggling with accuracy, Paris couldn’t find a way out of their downward spiral. Bourg-en-Bresse players took full advantage, extending the lead to +7 (71-78, 32nd). Paris attempted a comeback, mainly through Hifi (11 points), but it wasn’t enough. Thanks to McGhee or Gach (21 points), JL Bourg held on to claim their fifteenth victory of the season, securing the 5th position in Betclic Elite (85-95, 40th). On the other hand, 3rd-placed Paris Basketball suffered a second consecutive defeat in the championship, potentially allowing Strasbourg to overtake them with a game in hand.

ASVEL bounces back

Later on Sunday, ASVEL returned to winning ways by defeating Limoges on their home court (90-73). The Lyon-Villeurbanne players, who hadn’t won a championship game since the 17th day back in January against Le Mans (91-88), dominated the match. While the early moments were balanced, ASVEL took advantage of a weak period for Limoges to take control. With a 16-0 run fueled by Seljaas’s long-range shots (12 points) and Vautier’s impact in the paint (18 points, 6 rebounds), Pierric Poupet’s team made the rest of the match easier (29-14, 10th). Villeurbanne extended their lead in the second quarter as Limoges struggled to keep up.

Although Limoges tried to rally with Mason (15 points, 9 assists), Ware (12 points), and Jovanovic (12 points), even scoring an 11-0 run against ASVEL at the start of the third quarter (73-60, 33rd), the gap was too significant. Villeurbanne managed to maintain their advantage until the end of the match (90-73, 40th). With this victory, ASVEL re-enters the top 6 of Betclic Elite at the expense of Le Mans, while Limoges is in 13th place, with only two wins more than Boulazac, in the relegation playoff spot.