Basketball: European journey continues in the FIBA Europe Cup | OneFootball

The FC Porto basketball team was defeated by the French team Élan Chalon with a score of 79-100 in the semi-finals of the Champions League qualifying tournament held in Bulgaria, securing their spot in the FIBA Europe Cup for the fifth consecutive season.

In the group stage, to be played over six rounds between October 15 and November 19, Porto will face Antwerp Giants (Belgium), Rostock Seawolves (Germany), and Tartu Ülikool (Estonia), in a competition that brings together 40 teams from the Old Continent.

After starting with a five-point deficit, Fernando Sá's team responded with an 11-0 run and sought to counter the French favoritism. In the first half, the opponent had better outside shooting efficiency, while FC Porto focused more on the inside game of Javian Davis, who recorded 11 points and five rebounds in 18 minutes (45-51).

More aggressive in defense and superior in offensive rebounds, the French dominated the second chances and benefited from the accuracy of Jeremiah Hill, the American guard/forward who took responsibility in the decisive phase and allowed a 20-point lead (58-78), despite Wes Washpun's efforts in the third period.

The performance displayed by Élan Chalon in the quarter-finals (107-80) continued in the second half of the "semis," and the team from Chalon-sur-Saône, near the Swiss border, once again demonstrated why the French League—already a two-time winner—is one of the best in the world, advancing towards the Champions (79-100).

The Portuguese League starts in less than two weeks, and the first round brings the newly-promoted Vasco da Gama to the Dragão Arena on Saturday, October 4, at 5:00 PM (Porto Canal).

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.