Paris Basketball — Zalgiris Kaunas: 82:78, Euroleague

Paris Basketball secured a narrow victory over Žalgiris Kaunas 82:78 in their EuroLeague fixture on Thursday evening. The hosts held nerve in the closing minutes to clinch a result that keeps them in the hunt despite sitting in 16th place. To be fair, this was never going to be straightforward against a side that occupies fifth position with 23 wins from 38 games.

The home crowd witnessed a game where Paris shot 31 field goals from 69 attempts while converting 14 of 18 free throws. By then they had accumulated 36 rebounds and delivered 17 assists, though their 29 personal fouls told a story of a frantic finish. The hosts had nothing to do all evening in the first half but showed character when it mattered.

Žalgiris responded with 26 successful field goals from 65 attempts and converted an impressive 21 of 28 free throws. They pulled down 36 rebounds to match Paris and recorded five steals compared to the hosts' three. The Lithuanians are staring at the drop if results don't improve, but this performance showed resilience.

The statistics reveal a game decided by fine margins. Both sides committed nine turnovers and recorded identical rebound totals, yet Paris's six three-pointers made the difference. The old head settled them down when Žalgiris pushed back, and the hosts held their nerve in the final exchanges.

This result extends Paris's unbeaten run to two games after losses to Partizan and Panathinaikos. Žalgiris drop further behind the leaders after their defeat against Olympiacos on Wednesday. Cup football has its own rules, and this victory gives Paris something to build on as the season progresses.