Nanterre 92 beat Pau-Lacq-Orthez 78 to 64 in the National Basketball League on Friday evening. The hosts controlled the game from the opening tip and never really looked back, ending a run of disappointing results that had seen them lose three of their last four outings. By then the gap was already 15 points and the visitors had no real answer to the pace Nanterre set.
And here's the thing — we had given a prediction for this match, backing the home side with 52 per cent confidence. It came in as expected. Nanterre's shooting was efficient, they moved the ball properly, and Pau-Lacq-Orthez simply could not match the intensity for any sustained period. The visitors managed only four successful three-pointers from 30 attempts, which is not enough when you are playing away.
To be fair, the hosts were not perfect either. They committed 13 turnovers and fouled 21 times, but their 25 field goals from 76 attempts and 10 successful free throws from 21 attempts kept them ahead. The rebounding battle was close — 38 to 34 — but Nanterre's 29 defensive boards meant the visitors had few second chances.
The statistics tell a straightforward story. Nanterre's 32 per cent from three-point range compared to 13 per cent for the visitors. Eight successful threes against four. The hosts also recorded 18 assists to 15, showing better ball movement. Pau-Lacq-Orthez had more blocks — five to two — but that did not stop Nanterre from scoring inside.
The result keeps Nanterre 92 in third place with 21 wins from 30 games and nine defeats. They are still in the hunt for a higher finish, though the margin between them and the leaders remains significant. For Pau-Lacq-Orthez, the loss extends a difficult period. They had beaten Poitiers in two of their most recent games but could not carry that form into this fixture.
There is no value left at that number for the visitors if they continue to shoot like this from distance. Nanterre 92 will take confidence from the performance, but the work is not done. They still have games to play and points to accumulate if they want to finish higher than third.
