NBA: Chicago Bulls beat rivals Detroit Pistons in Paris
An all-star crowd at the Accor Arena in Paris saw the Chicago Bulls beat the Detroit Pistons 126-108 on Thursday.
The French capital hosted the first NBA game in Europe since 2020 as the Bulls dominated throughout, with Zach LaVine top scoring with 30 points.
Musician Pharrell Williams, footballer Gerard Pique and Formula 1 drivers Pierre Gasly and Charles Leclerc were among the crowd.
DeMar DeRozan added 26 points while the Pistons’ Bojan Bogdanovic scored 25.
DeRozan had missed the previous three games with a quad strain.
Meanwhile, 19-year-old French prodigy Victor Wembanyama, who is expected to be the first pick in this year’s NBA draft, was one of the star attractions watching from the stands.
The 7ft 3in Wembanyama plays in France for Metropolitans 92 but has been linked with a move to the Pistons.
Their current Frenchman, Killian Hayes, was greeted by a warm reception when the starters were introduced, but it was Chicago who started brightly and took control of the game.
Derrick Jones Jr was one of seven Bulls players to reach double figures as he impressed with some stunning dunks.
Chicago are 10th in the Eastern Conference, while the Pistons are bottom of the 15-team table.
Elsewhere, the Boston Celtics beat the Golden State Warriors 121-118 in overtime.
Jayson Tatum scored 34 points as the leaders of the Eastern Conference stretched their winning run to eight games, while the Warriors, who are the defending champions, are ninth in the Western Conference.
Source: BBC
