Parisian commuters love the Astroballe. Two hundred and ninety-four days after Nanterre, wide winner on the twenty-eighth day of the 2019-2020 regular season in the Villeurbannaise hall, Boulogne-Levallois won there this Sunday afternoon, thus putting an end to a series of nineteen consecutive victories for the Villeurbannais at home in the French league.
“It was our fourth game in nine days and it’s hard to follow up,” said TJ Parker, assistant of a team which managed to control Vitalis Chikoko (2/10, 2 evaluation) but did not could stop the backs Rob Gray and David Michineau, too often came to collide with the defense of a private Asvel of Edwin Jackson and Antoine Diot.
Why ? “No comment” replied TJ Parker before Gaëtan Muller came to give his explanation of this double absence, which took place a few hours after the publication, in the columns of “Progress”, of an interview with a Jackson very critical of his coach.
“Antoine didn’t play because we make sure he can be up and running at best. He had played Thursday (in Vitoria), we will play again on Tuesday and there is a way of managing it which is specific to the coach. We want to spare him, knowing that he went a year and a half without playing. Edwin, that’s another subject. We have seen what has come out in the press and we will settle it as a family. The only thing I regret is that it came out on match day. This is what gives us the most problem. Yes, it is a decision of the coach. But it’s complicated to operate that way. We are going to get off to a good start. Can Edwin be sanctioned? Everything is possible. You have to take the time to make the decision. Without rushing. Without amplifying things, nor minimizing them. We are going to give ourselves time to reflect. But what is certain is that no one is above the institution, ”commented Gaëtan Muller after a meeting which saw Zvezdan Mitrovic being expelled for the third time in thirty days. ..
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42 points for the Gray-Michineau duo
In Villeurbanne (Astroballe): Boulone-Levallois beats Asvel 79 to 69 (12-18, 22-14, 21-18, 24-19).
Arbitrators: MM. Yohann Rosso, Mathieu Hosselet and Philippe Creton. 5,392 spectators.
-For Asvel: Taylor 4, Jekiri 11, Maledon 7, Lomazs 4, Galliou 3, Noua 9, Jean-Charles 7, Bako 2, Lighty 7, Strazel, Payne 15.
-For Boulogne-Levallois: Artis 9, Weber 6, Michineau 20, Roos, Sako 4, Pinault 3, Larrouturou, Smith 4, Thirouard, Chikoko 4, Gray 22, February 7
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