Paris Basketball - Monaco (92-67): "We haven't accomplished anything yet," warns TJ Shorts

Unstoppable! Despite his 1.75m, he's the only one you see on the court. Zigzagging through the giants or firing shots that stun opponents, TJ Shorts has entered another dimension since the start of the Betclic Elite playoffs, the French basketball championship.

After having disgusted Bourg-en-Bresse in the semi-final with an average of 27.7 points in three matches, the Paris Basketball strategist raised his level of play again during the Finals with 30 points on Sunday during episode 1 (94-82 victory) then 28 points (at 77% success rate), Tuesday, for act 2 and the Parisian demonstration of strength against Monaco (92-67).

At 27, the American, who will leave the capital club at the end of the season, is on a mission. He wants to bring the French championship title back to Paris, a trophy that has eluded him since 1997. But despite having two wins to spare, he reiterated in a press conference Tuesday evening that the hardest part was yet to come.

Monaco easily dominated you (3-1) in the Betclic Elite Finals last season. How do you explain the situation turning around so much?

TJ Shorts. We're more mature, more experienced. We know Monaco well, having played them several times: in the league and in the Euroleague. I think those games allowed us to learn about them and also about ourselves and what we needed to improve to be better. It helped us progress. The arrival of the new players also helped us, especially Yak ( Yakuba Ouattara ). He was a key part of Monaco for many years, giving us insight into their way of thinking and their strategy. It gave us confidence. There are no secrets, it's just basketball.

On a more personal note, Monaco has some of the best defenders in Europe (Diallo and Tarpey) but nothing seems to be able to stop you...

All the credit goes to my teammates and coaches. They help me be in my spots, in the best positions. It's not always easy against these defenders, but I just keep doing what I've been doing since the beginning of the season.

Do you sometimes seem unstoppable?

Yes, sometimes. When you're in the zone, you feel like the defense won't be able to stop you no matter what they do. But you have to stay focused. Whether I make or miss my shots, you have to stay focused on the next action. Some days you make more shots than others, sometimes less than others, but today was a good day. When you get into that rhythm, that flow, you feel like every shot is going in.

It must be a special feeling?

I've practiced this shot countless times over the summers and throughout the season. It's simply the result of my work. I believe that when I'm in my spot, no matter the defense in front of me, I'm going to be able to get up and shoot. The only question is whether the shot will go in. You have to trust your work. It's become a natural movement. It's just a matter of going to my spot, getting up, and shooting with that confidence. It's the result of many hours spent in the gym, alone with your coaches, here or in the States.

You've been announced as joining Panathinaikos next season, so you may have played your last match in Paris this Tuesday...

It's hard to think about that when you're in a series like this. The goal is to win a trophy. That's my priority. So I put those emotions aside to stay focused and have the pride of winning a championship. But it's no secret that this might have been the last game.

You're leading 2-0 and can therefore achieve this goal in the next match on Friday in Monaco. What was the conversation like in the locker room?

We don't want to be satisfied with the current situation. To be honest, we haven't achieved anything yet. Sure, we're 2-0 up, but we had home advantage and we won both our home games. That's all we've done so far. Nothing is definitive. We know the match in Monaco will be the toughest of the season. We'll try to win there. We have confidence in our game and in what we've been able to achieve all season. We'll go there with 100% focus, 100% commitment, and I hope we can come away with the trophy.

Monaco will have to raise its level of play...

I think they'll try to be more aggressive. They'll try everything. That's normal, it's a final. You have to try different things when what you're doing isn't working. It will be interesting to see their adjustments. But I'm not focusing on them, I'm focused on our team and what we can do to be even better than tonight. We'll analyze the videos, prepare, rest, and try to beat them in the third game. We're very close to our goal, but we know that playing in Monaco will be more difficult than playing at home.