Challans beat Boulazac, a hundred and seven to ninety-six, in the Coupe de France. Challans play in NM1, Boulazac in the top division. The rules gave Challans fourteen points before the first ball. Challans kept them to the end.
I read that with my folder open. Fourteen points before the tip-off. At our place, the sheet starts at zero, both sides, and that’s not up for discussion. Over there, someone writes fourteen in the column before the captains have signed. I’m not against it. I’m asking who writes it, and at what minute.
Same night, Denain, in ÉLITE 2, beat Gravelines-Dunkerque, a hundred and six to eighty-one. Of the twenty-five points between them, seven came from the difference in divisions. The source says so. I’d have said so too. Seven points nobody saw go through a basket: that’s a line in the margin.
Antibes beat Roanne by two points, eighty to seventy-eight. There, no margin explains everything. Two points is two points.
Result for the top-division clubs on the night: one win, three defeats. Three more games next week, Dijon at SCABB, Limoges at Toulouse, Nancy at ASA. I’m preparing three sheets. The fourteen points, I’ll put in red pen.
Clock at zero, score already written, it’s on the sheet.
It’s true, we checked: BeBasket.
