Paris Basketball needed a win and found it in the most unexpected place. The second-to-last team in the EuroLeague defeated Dubai, one of the season's revelations, at the Coca-Cola Arena and snapped a four-game losing streak. The star was Nadir Hifi, who hadn't played since Matchday 4 due to an ankle injury and decided the game in the final five minutes.
A second quarter to take control
Dubai closed the first quarter ahead (25-23), but the game changed in the second. Paris turned up the pressure on the local point guards, strung together runs of 10-2 and 17-3, and held Dubai scoreless for six minutes. With a 22-31 run in that period, the French went into halftime up seven (47-54).
Xavi Pascual's team responded after the break. Bacon and Kabengele dominated near the basket, and Dubai won the third quarter (25-19). A mid-range shot by Jared Rhoden at the buzzer kept Paris ahead before the final quarter, but by the slimmest margin (72-73).
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Hifi takes over the finish
The final quarter was an exchange of baskets until, with five minutes remaining, Hifi appeared. The French point guard, who had 8 points until then, hit a three-pointer to put Paris up nine (79-88) and from there sustained his team from beyond the arc and the free-throw line. He scored 12 points in that stretch and finished with 20, without missing any of his ten free throws. Dubai, which had responded with three-pointers from Bacon, couldn't find a way to close the gap.
Rhoden accompanied Hifi with 20 points, and Sebastian Herrera added 12. For Dubai, Dwayne Bacon (24 points and 10 rebounds) and Mfiondu Kabengele (22 and 13) posted double-doubles. Džanan Musa made his EuroLeague debut this season with 8 points in 14 minutes. Dubai falls to 5-3 and Paris gets its second win (2-6).