Bourg-en-Bresse eliminated Nanterre in the quarter-finals of the Basketball Elite (2-1) after its victory Monday at home in the decisive support match (90-74) and will face the defending champion in the next round , Monaco, in a reissue of last season’s poster (3-0 for ASM).
Thus ends the 37 years of presence on the bench of the Hauts-de-Seine club of Pascal Donnadieu, who led it from the lowest echelon to the top of French basketball, with a championship title in 2013 (plus two titles European Cups and two French Cups).
“I have lived a fairy tale all these years, I thank all the people I have met. I’m really happy to leave with my head held high with (participation in) the play-offs and certainly in the European Cup. It’s only happiness even if there is a little disappointment this evening. We bowed with honors,” declared Pascal Donnadieu, who will celebrate his 60th birthday on May 29, at the microphone of the broadcaster Skweek.
“The story of Nanterre is not over, we will try to write more beautiful pages,” added Donnadieu, who will take on the role of sporting director of the club next season.
Fifth in this regular season, the Nanterriens ended up giving up against the fourth, with the deeper bench.
But Bourg-en-Bresse had to wait until the last three minutes to break away from the JSF, which fell 11 points behind at the end of the first quarter (29-18) and throughout the match.
Before, carried by Justin Bibbins (16 pts), to come back to breathe in the neck of the Bressans five minutes from the end (74-68), with even a ball of -2 however spoiled by a new loss of ball (17 in total ).
Nanterre was stunned by two consecutive winning shots from Belarusian interior Maksim Salash (18 pts at 4/5 long distance), the second giving the “Game” a 14-length lead (82-68) at 3 min 30 sec of the buzzer.
Then by two new banderillas fired behind the arc by JeQuan Lewis (90-71 at 1 min 16 sec from the end), yet author of a 0/3 so far in the exercise.