Euroleague: Mike James sends Monaco to the top 4, AVEL loses against Etoile Rouge

The Roca Team of Monaco won on the floor of Bayern Munich (84-81) Friday evening thanks to a big Mike James. Thanks to the defeat in the evening of Fenerbahçe in Vitoria (92-69), it is guaranteed to finish in one of the first four places of the regular season, to have the advantage of the field in the quarter-finals, which will be played mid-April to the best of five meetings.

With 21 wins in 32 games played this season, Monaco remains in 4th place with two games remaining, with two wins ahead of Maccabi Tel Aviv and three over Fenerbahçe who play in the evening. Assured for a week of playing in the play-offs of the queen competition of European basketball for the second consecutive season, Monaco is aiming higher in the spring of 2023.

Eliminated on the floor of the boiling Stadium of Peace and Friendship of Olympiakos in a dantesque fifth decisive match last season, the ‘Roca Team’ will this time have the advantage of the field when fighting for a place on the plane for Kaunas and the last four of the Euroleague at the end of May.

Strong comeback of Mike James

After a setback in Lithuania on Wednesday evening against Zalgiris (79-70), which followed a defeat in the Championship in Limoges (83-76), Sasa Obradovic’s players corrected the situation perfectly in Munich, against Bayern, 15th in the regular season, tired and who has nothing to hope for in the Euroleague. They were able to count on their star, Mike James, finally back to an excellent level for his third game after his internal suspension in mid-March for “violation of internal rules”.

It was the 32-year-old American who set the tone at the start of the game, and it was he who ended an interception of an 8-0 Munich at the start of the second quarter which had given up seven points. advance to Bayern (30-23). And it was finally he who allowed Monaco to regain control of the game at the end of the second quarter. Mike James thus completed the first 20 minutes with 18 points on the clock, 4 out of 6 from three points, the only one of the ‘Roca Team’ to fly over at long distance, while the rest of the team still has not managed to set the sights at three points, a constant this season.

Monaco had to work in the next two quarters, against Bayern who have not won in the Euroleague since March 7, and who suffered their fifth consecutive defeat. Led by three points at the start of the last ten minutes (60-57), Monaco managed to make the difference through Elie Okobo and John Brown, each with a two-point basket plus a successful free throw. Before Mike James with an award-winning three-point shot breathes new life into his team (73-68). James finished the game with 28 points, three rebounds and a rating of 26.

Eleventh defeat in a row for ASVEL

Villeurbanne conceded its eleventh straight loss after losing on Friday in its Astroballe room to Serbian club Red Star Belgrade (76-60) on the 32nd day of competition. ASVEL led at halftime (42-37), after winning the first two quarters (19-17, 23-20) before collapsing in the next two (19-11, 20-7).

The champion club of France occupies the 18th and last place of the classification with two days of the end. For its part, the Red Star is eleventh. Nando de Colo (14 pts), Charles Kahudi (11 pts) and Dee Bost (11 pts) were the top scorers for Villeurbanne. To conclude the regular season, there are two games left (in Vitoria and Berlin) to be played away at the Villeurbannais club, which has not won since January 26 in the continental event after its victory at home to Fenerbahçe Istanbul. (91-77).