Unlike Wednesday and the victory of Cholet in Paris, the best ranked of the regular season held their place Thursday at home in the quarter-finals first leg of Betclic Elite, including the holder and big favorite Monaco, winner of the Portel (85- 78). Eight days after its big disappointment in the Euroleague, with a defeat at home and after overtime (80-79) against Fenerbahçe during the decisive match 5 of the quarter-finals, ASM resumed its march forward with a view to retaining its title and to save his season, for the moment without any trophies.
Without Mike James but with the interior pair composed of Donatas Motiejunas (17 pts) and Jaron Blossomgame (16), she did the job seriously, despite a slight relaxation in the fourth quarter which allowed Portel (8th of the season regular and last qualified) to bring the gap from 15 to six units (74-68).
Third at the end of the regular season, Asvel, still deprived of Nando De Colo (injured) and Joffrey Lauvergne (return), took longer to distance the promoted Saint-Quentin (91-75). If Youssoupha Fall achieved a double-double in the paint (15 pts and 17 rebounds), it was an incredible basket from midfield at the buzzer from David Lighty which gave him a nine-length lead at the end of the third quarter -time (67-58). The Villeurbannais then did not relax their efforts and will have the opportunity to qualify on Sunday in Aisne for the semi-finals.
Like Monaco, Bourg-en-Bresse will seek its ticket for the last four away on Saturday, but will be eagerly awaited at Nanterre, which led by fifteen points on Thursday at the end of the third quarter (62-47). before collapsing (92-82, 41 pts conceded during the final period). In this very balanced duel between the fourth and fifth of the regular season, the JSF sank in the last five minutes, under the heavy blows of the duo composed of Maksim Salash and Hugo Benitez (2 cumulative points at half-time, 19 finally). And the final exit for five fouls committed by his pivot Ibrahim Fall Faye (11 pts and 13 rebounds) 3 min 30 sec from the end did not help anything.
The Nanterriens will also play on Saturday to extend by at least one match the adventure of their emblematic coach Pascal Donnadieu, in office since 1987 and who will bow out at the end of the season.
