Adam Williams presents his prediction for the EuroLeague match.
Paris Basketball defied expectations once again, emerging victorious from their clash with Real Madrid to secure the seventh seed in the EuroLeague play-offs. Next up is a showdown with EuroLeague powerhouse Fenerbahçe Beko, to whom Paris suffered two defeats during the regular season.
Fenerbahçe Beko
The key to Fenerbahçe’s success lies in the form of veteran Errick McCollum. However, he recently picked up an injury, and it remains unclear whether he will be fully fit for the play-offs. Without their offensive leader, the squad’s attacking efficiency drops significantly, with points coming at a premium. This was evident in their recent matches against Saski Baskonia (82:77) and Barcelona Bàsquet (75:83), where their field goal percentages dipped to 39.4% and 45% respectively.
Paris Basketball
Paris Basketball are thriving. As bold newcomers to the EuroLeague, they are making a name for themselves and not shying away from any challenge. Crucially, the squad has shown marked improvement on the defensive end as the season progressed. This was especially apparent in the play-in win over Real Madrid (81:73), where they held their opponents to just 40.3% shooting from the field. Offensively, T.J. Shorts is the undisputed orchestrator. Under his leadership, Paris attack ranked sixth in scoring with an average of 86.3 points per game.
Fenerbahçe Beko vs Paris Basketball Prediction
Yes, Paris Basketball lost both regular-season meetings, but only by a combined margin of five points. In the most recent encounter (101:100), Fenerbahçe Beko were rescued by a last-second three-pointer from Nigel Hayes-Davis. It is clear that the hosts will not have an easy ride this time.
