Defeated by 13 points by the promoted Bourg-en-Bresse, the Antibes team will head to the court of Nanterre this Saturday afternoon. A challenging match against a team that seems to have found its cruising speed.
When the green machine is up and running, it’s hard to stop, even for hungry Sharks. With a balanced record, Nanterre and Antibes are experiencing a seesaw start to the season. But the Nanterre team is confident after a victory in the Trophรฉe des Champions against a weakened Chรขlons team. That’s not all, Pascal Donnadieu’s men have started their European campaign with a victory in the Czech Republic, with a well-distributed scoring.
The good and the not so good
One word repeatedly comes up to describe the start of the championship for the Azureans: consistency. Away from their home base, the Antibes team struggles to produce good basketball for 40 minutes, a coherent basketball. In Chalons-Reims, Antibes faltered in the last quarter-hour after having the game well in hand. Last Friday, on the court of JL Bourg, everything seemed to come together in the first half, but the key players lacked precision and, more importantly, leadership in critical moments.
Average gap of eight points
Since returning to ProA, Nanterre has won three of the four encounters. The average gap is about 8 points. But last season was undeniably in favor of the greens. The Parisians cruised at the Azur Arena (70-55) and left no chance at their home ground (90-71). The key to the match will, as often, be success. A success that eludes leader Jerel Blassingame, yet to be supported by Tyler Harvey, who lacks bearings as he was injured at the end of pre-season.
Before hosting the formidable Le Mans team and then visiting the court of Gravelines-Dunkerque, the Antibes team would do well to create an upset in Nanterre’s territory.
Photo credit: official site of the Sharks Antibes
