Gravelines-Dunkerque left the Elite basketball relegation zone at least temporarily after its victory in the Saint-Quentin hall (76-68), candidate for the play-offs, on Saturday on the occasion of the 24th day during which former hopeful Sekou Doumbouya played again 11 months after his last match. The Northerners (8 wins for 14 defeats) have confirmed their good form since the start of 2024 after the fire in their Sportica arena on Christmas Day: they remain on four wins in five matches.
The last, in Aisne, took shape in the third quarter (won 27 to 14) and gave them a victory ahead of Blois, opposed to Paris on Sunday and which has one more match.
Le Portel, for its part, won the suspense match of the day by overcoming Chalon-sur-Saône after overtime (99-96): the ESSM lined up a third victory in a row, a series which comes after another of three setbacks in a row… It allows him to keep his place in the car of the eight qualified (12/12), alongside Saint-Quentin and Strasbourg, big winner of Roanne (97-82) after a festival behind the arc (12/22 including 4/5 for Paul Lacombe, author of 23 pts plus 7 rebounds and 8 assists).
Doumbouya was not enough for the Chorale, relegated: the French power forward, drafted by the Detroit Pistons in 15th position in 2019, scored 18 points (plus 4 rebounds and 2 interceptions) for his big return to the court, 11 months after his last match (in the G-League, an American minor league). He has just signed up until the end of the season with Roanne.
Another player who did not miss his debut with his new club, the American leader Chris Clemons, whose 24 points (6/11 at long distance) brought Nancy to the red lantern Boulogne-Levallois (89-80), who is getting closer to the descent.
