The bosses responded. Long abused by Cholet, the Villeurbanne basketball players finally managed to get by by winning the support match of the Elite quarter-finals 84 to 82, Sunday at the Astroballe, and join Dijon in the semi-finals. The poster for this semi-final, which begins Tuesday evening, will be the revenge of last year’s final, won by Asvel 87 to 74 in Rouen on a dry run. This time, it will be the best of five games, with home advantage for Villeurbanne, first in the regular season.
Double champion of France in title (2019 and 2021, in 2020 the title had not been awarded due to the Covid-19 pandemic), Asvel experienced all the difficulties in getting rid of Cholet, who hanging on throughout the meeting. Beaten in his room for the first game of the series (74-70), Villeurbanne had won at the Meilleraie de Cholet (82-66) thanks to Elie Okobo, sparkling (26 points, 10 rebounds). The former Phoenix Suns player was once again decisive on Sunday (17 points), especially in the last quarter with a three-point shot, obtaining an offensive foul from the Choletais and a counter on TJ Campbell.
The Laurent Villa players did not crack but finally had to lay down their arms in the last thirty seconds, on a badly negotiated throw-in. “Cholet is a real team, we knew it. We could have reassured ourselves earlier. We know that we have to defend, we must not relax, ”commented at the microphone of beIN Sports TJ Parker.
Under the eyes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, MVP of the 2019 and 2020 NBA regular seasons and who came to support his brother Kostas with Asvel, the young shoots of French basketball Yoan Makoundou for Cholet and Victor Wembanyama for Asvel were able to show the full extent of their talent. Makoundou notably scored 20 points and signed 5 rebounds, insufficient however to allow Cholet to sign a huge feat.
