It was a much anticipated matchup between two of France’s best basketball players as San Antonio Spurs’ Tony Parker and ASVEL-Villeurbanne faced Portland Trail Blazers’ Nicolas Batum and Sluc Nancy.
But this matchup ended up in a lopsided win for Batum’s team as ASVEL fell 92-77 despite having new addition New York Knicks’ Ronny Turiaf in action.
ASVEL had no answer for Batum as he finished with 21 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists and it didn’t help that Parker could not find his rhythm in the first half. ASVEL also showed the team depends too much on Parker as no other player stepped up while Parker was struggling.
At the half Nancy was leading 47-38.
In the second half, Parker sparked to life and was able to pull ASVEL within seven points and at the end of the third quarter Nancy held on to a slim lead, 67-60.
However, it was too little too late as Batum and Nancy dominated the fourth quarter outscoring ASVEL 25-17 to remain undefeated at 5-0.
Parker finished with 20 points, 8 rebounds and 9 assists but only shot 6-21 (28%) from the field and 0-3 from the three-point line. Turiaf finished with 9 points, and 8 rebounds in his ASVEL debut.
Parker and ASVEL fall to 2-3 and will next face Le Havre.