It is a victory that will mark the beginning of this history between Monaco and the Euroleague. The Roca Team, in distress for a half against CSKA Moscow, led by 22 points after 13 minutes of play (35-13) against an opponent visibly recovered after their short defeat at Villeurbanne in the middle of the week (70-68) , validated Friday evening an improbable turnaround, even gaining a very large success (97-80). The American Dwayne Bacon, recruited during the week, will have experienced a strange first for Gaston-Médecin, while contributing 11 points for his new team.
Long muzzled by his former team, leader Mike James gradually freed himself after the break (10 points, 2 rebounds, 8 assists, 5 steals) while the Monegasques were playing their best basketball (28-12 in the third quarter ). Untenable near the circles, Donta Hall, mask on the face (his participation was questioned because of a broken nose), became the main contributor of his own, compiling 17 points (at 8 of 9) and 10 rebounds in 31 minutes.
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CSKA Moscow lost 21 balls to Monaco, who returned only 11 possessions.
Opposite, the men of Greek coach Dimitris Itoudis liquefied, submerged by the offensive waves of ASM. With the exception of Will Clyburn (19 points), Alexey Shved (15 points) and Joel Bolomboy (13 points), the visitors found no stints and dropped flags at the end of the fourth quarter. In addition to this monumental feat, this victory – the fourth in the Euroleague for Monaco – puts the Betclic Élite club back in seventh place in the general classification (4v-3d), in line with its goals for qualifying in the play-offs.
The show Okobo chez le Pana
Long hung on by a Panathinaikos team which mainly fed on the few approximations of TJ Parker’s men, Asvel finally got out of its trap trip to Athens quite well by confirming the convincing success gleaned Wednesday at the Astroballe against CSKA (84-70). If the Lyon team has often relied on its collective at the start of the season, this time it was able to count on two individuals who burst the screen. Local of the stage, since a native of Athens, Kostas Antetokounmpo (12 points at 6 of 7, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks) imposed his physique and his height in the first half.
The winger then let his playmaker Élie Okobo take the game on his own, and ensure a huge show: 35 points (13 of 19 shooting), including a huge 5 of 7 with three points and some tasty shots in backing up to the key.
While the Pana had returned to a point at the start of the fourth quarter (57-58), the former leader of the Phoenix chained the actions of high class, the penetrations well felt and therefore a few shots from far to give air to his. With a record of five wins for two defeats, Asvel (5th) remains at the top of the European basket (the two leaders, Milan and Barcelona, both have six wins for one defeat), and has once again proved that ‘she will have to be counted on to play the leading roles this season.
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