Cholet Basket fell to Paris in Game 3 of the Betclic Élite playoffs. The team's second-half surge wasn't enough to overcome the deficit built in the first 20 minutes. The Paris Basketball team took the lead in their Betclic Élite playoff semifinal against Cholet Basket. On Sunday night at the Meilleraie, the Parisians won 95-86 despite the expulsion of their coach Julius Thomas. This victory puts the capital club one win away from the final. For Cholet, the frustration is all the greater since the reaction shown after the break did not suffice to make up for the deficit accumulated in the first 20 minutes. The first half was fatal for Cholet. The assessment is shared among the Cholet players. Aaron Towo-Nansi estimated that « the first half costs us dearly since the second half is much better ». The young point guard highlighted that his team had then « put more intensity » but that the damage was already done against a Parisian formation capable of « scoring easily ». For him, the scenario would have been different with a better start: « If we play 40 minutes, the game is different, since we're running behind the score. » The same analysis comes from Digué Diawara. The wing player acknowledged that his team had paid cash for their poor start: « We had a big hole that cost us dearly. After, we didn't give up, we came back. » Despite this comeback, Cholet never managed to take back control of the game. The rebound control also weighed in the balance. Digué Diawara notably pointed out the difficulties encountered on long rebounds, an aspect already problematic since the start of the series. « These rebounds are a flaw in the series », he acknowledged, while recalling that it was a collective work: « It's really a 5-rebound. » The former Quimper player estimates that this sector will be one of the keys to Game 4: « If we control the rebound, we control the game. » Despite this defeat and the absence of Qudus Wahab, the Cholet players refuse to give up. Keshawn Justice reminded that the objective remained unchanged: « Our objective is a win at a time and to protect our ground to be able to make a Game 5. » The American wing player also had a thought for his teammate, explaining that he wanted to « send all our love and prayers to Qudus who is going through a difficult period ». According to him, the adjustments imposed by this absence do not explain the result alone. « In the third and fourth quarters, we were able to rival, we were able to come back », he emphasized, before insisting on the need to maintain the same intensity for 40 minutes. Aaron Towo-Nansi, too, assures that the group will adapt to the circumstances: « We will continue to adapt and see how it goes for the next. »