Limoges Improves Playoff Chances With Win

 The French Pro A league capped off Round 31 of the 2017-18 season with an important game on April 30th. Limoges CSP Elite defeated the Levallois Metropolitans 79-66 to improve their chances at a shot at the playoffs. The much-needed win bumps them up to sixth place in the standings with a 17-14 record. Levallois remains in 10th place with their 15-16 record. The race for the post-season is still very tight and fiercely contested. Nanterre also climbed up to seventh place after their 77-73 win over Cholet on April 28th. They have an identical 17-14 record to Limoges. Bourg Basket remains in serious contention, rounding out the top-8 with a 16-14 slate.

This is a very competitive league, with very few games separating the middle-of-the-pack teams. AS Monaco remains the league’s top dog with an impressive 24-7 record.

Levallois were too dependent on the two-man show of Travis Leslie and Jaron Johnson, who combined for 38 of the team’s 66 points. Limoges, on the other hand, had a more balanced offense with Samardo Samuels leading the way with 18 points.

A good number of the statistical categories were close between these two teams, but Limoges was the aggressor for most of the contest and it paid off dividends for them in the end. Neither club shot particularly well from the free throw line, but Limoges eked out an advantage in the points scored in two-point range, which had a high percentage chance of success.

The stretch run will be about momentum and which teams will be able to capitalize on it to come up with a streak in the end to grab those highly-coveted playoff spots.