This Thursday, the situation was simple for Monaco: the Roca Team had to win against Bayern Munich to secure a place on the Euroleague podium. An approachable German opponent, who had nothing left to play for, but who had to be taken seriously so as not to risk disillusionment. A mission accomplished in pain for Sasa Obradovic’s men, who initially led largely before letting their opponent come back at the end of the match.
A perfectly negotiated first half of the match
The great evening for the Rocher players quickly took shape in this match. After a few minutes of exchanging baskets with their opponent (12-12), the Monegasques suddenly moved up in defense while maintaining the pace on the other side of the field. A first quarter which already saw them score 29 points and take a lead of 15 units! (29-14)
Deprived of its star Serge Ibaka, Bayern took on water from all sides in this first half. Like the excellent duo Jordan Loyd – Elie Okobo (21 points combined in the first half), Monaco demonstrated insolent skill, particularly in the racket (69% shooting success, 16/19 two points). Adding to this a stifling defense, the reigning French champion logically returned to the locker room with a very significant advantage (52-30).
“I don’t know if I’m left-handed or right-handed, I shoot with both hands, Elie Okoboss” 🎶@ASMonaco_Basket x @EuroLeague#SKWEEKLive #EveryGameMatters pic.twitter.com/adXkBaUKna
— SKWEEK (@skweektv) April 11, 2024
With such a lead, Monaco knew that above all they had to contain the German attempts to come back in the third period to ensure a calm end to the match. Despite a slight drop in overall shooting success, the Roca Team stayed the course and Mike James continued to delight his teammates (17 points, 12 assists).
The awakening of Pablo Laso’s men, initiated by an incandescent Carsen Edwards (26 points), will finally take place from the end of the third quarter and will give Monegasque fans a cold sweat. Coming back to two points in the last minute, Sylvain Francisco (17 points, 4 assists) and his team finally lost to Alpha Diallo (20 points, 5 rebounds), author of a decisive dunk after taking an offensive rebound essential!
Monaco awaits its opponent
A close victory (89-85) which made Monaco happy. This 23rd success in 34 matches allows the Principality club to finish its Euroleague season in the top three. He could even land second place if Panathinaikos loses to ALBA Berlin this Thursday evening. It will then remain to know the opponent of the Monegasques in the quarter-finals, which could be Fenerbahçe or Olympiakos. Final answer on Friday evening.
🥵 The #RocaTeam resists Bayern and validates its place in the top 4️⃣ ‼️
🚀 End of regular season@EuroLeagueheading towards the play-offs 💥#RocaTeam #EveryGameMatters pic.twitter.com/MLjIcorUcc
— AS Monaco Basket 🇲🇨 (@ASMonaco_Basket) April 11, 2024
Boxscore Monaco – Bayern Munich / Euroleague standings
2024-04-11 19:08:26
#Bayern #Munich #Monaco #scared #validates #place #top
