Paris Basketball undone by Bayern Munich’s control of the paint.
Paris Basket 3 Feb 2026 Euroleague
Crédit photo : Théo Caron
Paris Basketball‘s European campaign hit another bump in the road as they fell 81-75 to Bayern Munich in Germany, with rebounding proving to be the decisive factor in a closely contested encounter.
Bayern’s unexpected dominance on the glass
The statistics tell a remarkable story. Bayern Munich enters this season as EuroLeague‘s worst offensive rebounding team, averaging just 9.6 per game. Yet against Paris Basketball, they collected 19 offensive rebounds – more than double their season average. This unexpected dominance in the paint created numerous second-chance opportunities that ultimately swung the game in their favor.
Paris Basketball‘s struggles in the interior were compounded by the absence of key big men Daulton Hommes and Enzo Shahrvin. Francesco Tabellini’s team was forced to deploy small-ball lineups extensively, but this strategy backfired as Bayern repeatedly capitalized on their size advantage.
The first half was a defensive grind played at a slow pace, with Bayern holding a narrow 34-31 advantage at the break. The tempo picked up significantly after halftime, but rather than benefiting Paris as expected, the increased pace favored the German side who used it to extend their lead.
Late drama decides tight contest
Despite the rebounding disadvantage, Paris Basketball refused to surrender. The margin fluctuated between 2 and 9 points throughout the contest, with Tabellini’s men fighting back repeatedly to keep the game within reach. However, two crucial 3-points from Andreas Obst, who finished with 24 points, proved devastating in the closing moments.
Nadir Hifi, now EuroLeague‘s second-leading scorer, led Paris with 17 points and 5 assists for an efficiency rating of 23, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the defeat.
« My players fought very hard, until the end. We played against a great team, who makes a lot of effort, so congratulations to them. It was a tight game, at the end the two shots from Obst killed us. The first one was after an offensive rebound, we had the ball but we lost it, and on the second one we lost it behind a screen. Those are two crazy baskets. It hurts, » Francesco Tabellini said after the game to EuroLeague TV.
On a couru derrière le score tout le match sans réussir à passer devant. Focus sur la réception du Fener jeudi. pic.twitter.com/ncBDgefPff
— Paris Basketball (@ParisBasketball) February 3, 2026
This setback represents a frustrating step backward for Paris Basketball, coming just one week after their stunning victory over Real Madrid – arguably their finest EuroLeague performance this season. The defeat, combined with their surprising domestic loss to Boulazac, has dampened what appeared to be building momentum.
Both teams remain in precarious positions in the EuroLeague standings, with Bayern stuck in 15th place and Paris in 17th, holding just a two-game cushion over bottom-placed ASVEL.
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