Related coverage
Scores, fixtures and picks
These are current fixtures from the same sport, shown as a separate live companion rather than evidence for the article. Live status and scores come from the normalized SportyPulses data feed; predictions are reader picks, not betting advice.
Paris Basketball finally brought structural discipline to their high-tempo execution on Thursday night at the Arena Porte de La Chapelle. Forty-eight hours after a 21-turnover collapse against Partizan Belgrade, head coach Maxime Lefèvre’s squad tightened ball security, navigated the fourth-quarter ejection of T.J. Warren, and pulled off an 82-78 victory over Zalgiris Kaunas to claim their first EuroLeague win of the 2026–27 campaign.
For a side that opened its European journey with a 91-72 defeat at Panathinaikos before losing 92-79 to Partizan, the sharp drop in unforced errors made all the difference. Paris slashed their turnover total from 21 down to just 10 against Zalgiris. That composure allowed them to build early momentum through Jared Rhoden’s interior aggressiveness and Warren’s efficient scoring inside. Warren produced eight first-half points to propel Paris to a 41-38 lead at halftime, before extending his total to 14 points on 6-for-6 shooting near the rim through three quarters as Paris led 61-53 entering the final period.
| Quarter / Stage | Paris Basketball | Zalgiris Kaunas |
|---|---|---|
| End of 1st Quarter | 17 | 19 |
| Halftime | 41 | 38 |
| End of 3rd Quarter | 61 | 53 |
| Final Score | 82 | 78 |
The Ejection and the Lithuanian Surge
The match turned dramatically at the start of the fourth quarter. In the 31st minute, with Paris holding a 63-56 lead, Warren picked up his fifth foul and was ejected. Deprived of their primary paint creator, the Parisian offense momentarily stalled.
Zalgiris guard Carsen Edwards—who had missed 10 of his first 14 shot attempts through 30 minutes—capitalized immediately, drilling back-to-back three-pointers to vault Kaunas ahead. Center Jonas Valančiūnas then took control of the interior, completing a three-point play and blocking Nadir Hifi at the rim to crown a 76-71 Zalgiris lead in the 36th minute.
Dokossi's Muscle and Hifi's Closing Punch
With Paris facing an 0-3 start in EuroLeague play, forward Allan Dokossi provided the essential physical response inside against Valančiūnas. Dokossi delivered an efficient stat line of 8 points on 100% shooting, 8 rebounds, and 1 block. He scored two consecutive interior buckets in the 37th minute to draw Paris level at 76-76.
That defensive and rebounding stability enabled Paris to regain control. Hifi kicked out to Léopold Cavalière for a go-ahead corner three-pointer, followed immediately by a Hifi three-pointer to push Paris up 79-78 in the 38th minute. While Edwards finished with 19 points and Azuolas Tubelis scored 9 early points in a 37-point combined effort, Zalgiris went completely scoreless over the final two minutes of play.
Hifi, who shot 7-for-20 on the night but led all scorers with 21 points, sealed the win by scoring Paris' final six points. He converted a drive to make it 81-78 in the 39th minute before icing the outcome at the free-throw line.
On l'attendait, cette première victoire,Hifi told EuroLeague TV after the game.Je suis fier des gars. Ça a été difficile, on s'est remis d'une mauvaise série dans le quatrième quart-temps. Ce n'est pas un match parfait, il y a beaucoup de choses à corriger, mais je suis heureux de la victoire.
The result marks the first EuroLeague head coaching win for Maxime Lefèvre.
Ce dont je suis le plus fier, c'est notre réaction après notre moment faible,Lefèvre said.
Paris now pivots to a domestic road matchup against Le Mans on Sunday, before returning home to face ASVEL on Wednesday in EuroLeague Round 4.
Sources
These sources formed the evidence pack for this article. Links open the original publisher; inclusion does not imply endorsement.
- basketeurope.com original
- bebasket.fr original
- lefigaro.fr original
- beinsports.com original
