Heroic JDA Dijon forces Paris into dangerous Game 3
May 29, 2025
Alexandre Lacoste
« A magnificent game » according to Laurent Legname; Dijon still on cloud nine after their victory
Betclic ELITE - Following JDA Dijon's thrilling victory against Paris Basketball (80-79) in the return match, the atmosphere was euphoric at the Palais des Sports. Naturally, Dijon's coach Laurent Legname paid tribute to his team's performance.
Photo Credit : FOXAEP
The fans of JDA Dijon went through every emotion this Thursday evening. The 3+1 from Axel Julien, his celebration with the crowd, the disallowed basket, the winning free throw… After the game, emotions were still running high as reported by Bien Public.
Laurent Legname satisfied after first game setback
After criticizing his team’s inconsistent performance in the first game (100-87), Laurent Legname was pleased with his players’ complete game. On their home court, Dijon secured an impressive victory in the money-time (80-79) against Paris Basketball. « The players needed to deliver a high-level performance and they did, all credit to them, » the coach told Bien Public. « There were ups and downs throughout the game, Paris didn’t give up with a great Maodo Lo (21 points and 5 rebounds), but neither did we. We truly played at playoff level against a team that’s been sensation in Europe for two years. We’re back to 1-1 in the series, after a magnificent game, even more beautiful than our earlier win in Paris in my opinion (95-96, regular season). »
The home team was solid on both ends of the floor, holding their own against a Parisian team known for becoming unstoppable when they heat up. « We held them under 80 points… We played our best game of the season when it mattered most, never lost our composure, and the players were rewarded, » explained Laurent Legname. « It was truly a back-and-forth battle, we didn’t give up, didn’t doubt, stayed focused on our gameplan, that’s why we stayed with them until the end. It was a real mental game, we managed to keep our cool, » added Ilias Kamardine, who will leave the club at the end of the season.
11
PTS
2
REB
5
AST
Paris will need to be strong at the Adidas Arena
On the other side, Thiago Splitter acknowledged his team’s defeat while praising Dijon’s performance. « We didn’t start well and finished poorly. We made many mistakes, with too many turnovers. Sometimes we lacked aggressiveness. The defense was disappointing in the last quarter, but we must also give them credit for making tough shots at the end. We forced things a bit, had the game in our hands but let it slip away and they deserved to win, » explained the Brazilian after the game.
9
PTS
3
REB
0
AST
Nadir Hifi, who had a rather quiet game, also regretted the defeat: « We gave them the victory and they took it… I think we need to show we can be better in many aspects and we didn’t show that tonight. Now we’re backed against the wall and we must win Saturday to reach the semifinals. »
Next up is Saturday at the Adidas Arena for the Parisians, regular season leaders who must avoid an embarrassing upset. However, Ilias Kamardine remains optimistic: « We’ve already beaten them at their place this season, anything is possible, now they’re the ones under pressure. We have to keep believing. »
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