TJ Shorts discusses recent loss to Zalgiris and his missed crucial free throws, Paris' NBA-style play, other teams adjusting to their up-tempo game, correct result for the team, pregame rituals, and why he still believes he's the best point guard in Europe.
At halftime on Thursday night, it looked like Paris Basketball was cruising to their 17th EuroLeague win. Up by 16 points against Zalgiris Kaunas on the road, things were going their way. But the home team had other plans.
Zalgiris stormed into the third quarter with a 15-0 run, flipping the game on its head. By the time the quarter ended, they had outscored Paris 29-14, erasing what once had been a 20-point deficit.
From then on, it was anybody's game – but it was Zalgiris who came out on top, pulling off an 83-81 comeback win to stay in the fight for a Top 10 spot.
"Third quarter killed us," TJ Shorts, who finished with a game-high 21 points, told BasketNews after the Round 29 loss. "They came out, kind of punched us in the mouth, and we didn't respond.
Shorts had a shot to swing the game Paris' way in crunch time. Down 79-81, he stepped to the line with 39.3 seconds left after drawing an unsportsmanlike foul. But he missed both free throws.
He had a tough driving layup attempt on the next possession that didn't go either.
"It's basketball. You gotta live with yourself," he said. "I've put in numerous reps in the summer, during the season, to prepare for those moments, but sometimes the ball doesn't go in."
For Paris, this was their third straight EuroLeague loss. After a strong 11-6 start, they've struggled in the second half of the season, going 5-7 since.
However, despite their recent struggles, Paris has already outperformed preseason expectations. The EuroLeague newcomers currently sit in seventh place, just one win away from fifth.
Even though Paris is making waves in the EuroLeague, Shorts wasn't ready to back them as a Final Four team when he made his preseason picks on the Triple Threat Show.
It's been almost five months since he predicted Monaco, Real Madrid, Panathinaikos, and Olympiacos would reach the Final Four.
What are his Final Four teams now?
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Pijus Sapetka