There was little suspense in Game 1 of the Betclic Elite finals as Paris Basketball flexed their muscles with an 82-94 win over reigning champions Monaco, seizing a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series. The capital club, fuelled by a sensational performance from TJ Shorts — who racked up 30 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists — broke the game open in the second quarter and never looked back.
The clash, hosted at the Adidas Arena in Paris, was billed as a battle between Monaco’s title-hardened Roca Team and a rising Paris side hungry for their first domestic crown. But with Monaco missing star guard Mike James and still without Daniel Theis, it quickly became clear who had the momentum. Despite a competitive opening period that ended 23-22, Paris turned up the heat in the second quarter and carved out a double-digit lead by half-time (38-49).
Monaco tried to hang on — with flashes from Elie Okobo, Mam Jaiteh and Matthew Strazel — but were repeatedly undone by Paris’s pace and precision. Shorts was near-untouchable, aided by key contributions from Collin Malcolm Ward and Nadir Hifi, whose quick transitions and pick-and-roll efficiency tormented the Monaco defence all evening.
The Roca Team made a short-lived push in the third, narrowing the gap to seven at one stage thanks to a spirited run led by Okobo. But just as momentum began to tilt, Paris regrouped and punished Monaco’s defensive lapses. Missed box-outs, slow retreats, and an inability to cope with Paris’s ball movement kept them on the back foot. Jantunen and Hayes added grit inside, while Ward and Hifi piled on the damage from the perimeter.
With five minutes to go and Paris still comfortably ahead, the game was all but over. Monaco’s final efforts brought the scoreline slightly closer, but there was no denying Paris’s superiority on the night. Juhann Begarin added the final flourish to seal a deserved victory.
Monaco head coach Vassilis Spanoulis didn’t mince words after the defeat: “We weren’t good defensively. We gave up 35 points just in transition and offensive rebounds. Two of their players scored 50 points between them with nearly 10 assists. We have to be better — especially on defence. Everyone has to lift their level.”
Game 2, also in Paris, will tip off on Tuesday night. For Monaco, it’s a must-win to level the series and wrestle back home-court advantage. For Paris, it’s a golden opportunity to put one foot on the podium — and maybe push the Roca Team closer to the edge.
