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| BKT EuroCup Semifinals MVP: TJ Shorts, Paris Basketball |
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Paris Basketball star guard TJ Shorts knew that a place in the BKT EuroCup Finals was on the line and stepped up his performances to another level in the semifinals, causing headache after headache for a London Lions side that simply had no answer when it came to stopping him.
Shorts was instrumental in Paris sweeping its series with London, winning 2-0, and his 28.5 PIR average shows just how key he was. The 26-year-old, who was also the EuroCup Quarterfinals MVP, led all players in scoring during the semifinals, averaging 22.0 points per game, while he also topped the charts in assists (6.0) and steals (4.0). This, his fifth MVP honor of the season, is a reflection of his dominance.
His 7 straight points, following a three by Mikael Jantunen and a two-pointer by Tyson Ward, in the early stages of the third quarter in Game 1 took him to 17 points personal and helped Paris break the contest open, with the French side leading 54-49 at halftime and then up 17 points, 66-49, 2:46 into the second half. From there, Paris and Shorts, who finished with a 33 PIR and 23 points – both of which are the most by any player in the semifinals – as well as 6 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals, never looked back en route to a 99-86 win at Adidas Arena.
Likewise, Shorts also stepped up late in Game 2 in the English capital. Having recorded 16 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals through the first 30 minutes, at which point Paris was narrowly ahead by two points, 64-66, Shorts helped put the game to bed by amassing 5 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals in the fourth quarter alone, taking his game tallies to 21 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals, the last of which was the most by any player in the semifinals. He had a 24 PIR in that game, too.
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