JL Bourg reaches EuroCup final for second time in three seasons after stunning comeback
The beaming smile of Both Gach: JL is once again qualified for the EuroCup final!
Photo credit: Cécile Thomas
For the second time in three seasons, JL Bourg will compete in the EuroCup final. After a controlled Game 3 performance against Türk Telekom Ankara (94-78), Frédéric Fauthoux‘s team has booked their ticket for a burning rematch with Besiktas Istanbul at the end of April. An enormous achievement for the club from Bresse, which was still in Pro B just ten years ago.
This time, yes, it was truly « la kiffance. » As soon as the final buzzer sounded (94-78), the notes of Naps’ famous tune once again echoed through a boiling Ékinox arena, celebrating JL Bourg’s second qualification in three seasons for a EuroCup final, far from the gloomy atmosphere of the previous week when the team was trailing by thirty points against Türk Telekom Ankara.
An incredible turnaround story
An unbelievable achievement for a club from a city of only 42,000 inhabitants, which was still struggling in the anonymous battles of Pro B just nine years ago, and which is now getting used to breathing at the suffocating altitude of European finals. « My playing career lasted 18 years with Pau-Orthez and I only played one European Cup semi-final (Korac 1995), » recalls Frédéric Fauthoux.
« We’re clearly establishing ourselves as a stronghold of European basketball, » claims captain Kevin Kokila, the sole survivor among players and staff from the 2024 epic alongside Frédéric Fauthoux. « The club has worked very well in recent years. Coming back to the final is the work of an entire team, people in the offices who do impressive work, an entire staff that recruits the right profiles to create a competitive group, a coach who manages to direct it well. What JL Bourg is doing is very strong! »
The path to victory seemed impossible after Ankara’s dominant 71-99 first-leg victory at Ékinox. However, the comeback began with their revolt in Turkey (73-76), born from an appeal to the pride of a roster that functions largely on ego, a return to the fundamentals of a well-developed passing game, and a physical challenge constantly imposed on the opponent.
« Before the first match, we thought it was going to be easy, » admitted Both Gach, the evening’s standout performer with 21 points on 8/13 shooting, 6 rebounds and 3 assists. « We had beaten them twice during the regular season. That slap in the first leg woke us up. We understood that nothing would be given to us, that the playoffs are something different, that we had to play hard. »
The final awaits against Besiktas Istanbul, where JL Bourg will seek to change the script from 2024, when Paris Basketball swept them in two straight matches. Once again, the team from Bresse won’t start as favorites, without home court advantage and facing a Besiktas squad obsessed with European glory for several years.
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