Beaten this Friday in Catalonia, the Monegasques will have to win during the support match at home to reach the semi-finals.
The “Roca Team” will tremble. Monaco will have to play a fifth decisive match to reach the final of the Euroligue after its defeat on Friday in the FC Barcelona room (79-72) in the fourth quarter-final match. The ASM, which led series 2 to 0, will play this support match at home, with its objective its second Final Four (May 23-25 in Abu Dhabi) after that of 2023 (3rd).
They experienced a catastrophic start, in line with the previous meeting, where they had been dominated in aggressiveness.
The «Roca Team»Was thus led 15 to 3 (5th) then 21 to 6 (8th), before gradually resurfaced (14-23 at the end of the first quarter, then ironed in front of 38-35 at half-time), putting itself at the level of the intensity required. In particular, under the effect of the entries of Matthew Strazel and Vitto Brown, confined to the end of the bench since the start of the season but out of the hat of Vassilis Spanoulis. In the wake in particular of Alpha Diallo and Mike James, again at the rendezvous, she even counted six lengths in the middle of the third quarter (52-46).
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“Not the same criteria”
But she failed to dig the gap, before miscarriage of the last period, losing far too many balls (19 in total) against the Catalan pincer. “We fought well, but in the second period it was not the same criteria”said Laconic Spanoulis at the microphone of Euroleague TV, seeming to aim for arbitration.
Diallo (13 pts), James (16 pts) and Strazel (10 pts) were too lonely, Daniel Theis (7 pts and 6 rebounds) and Mam Jaiteh (3 pts and 4 rebounds) suffered in the racket, while Elie Okobo (6 pts at 0/4 to 3 pts and 2 lost balls) and Jordan Loyd (7 pts at 1/5 to 3 pts, 4 lost bullets) did not exist.
Handed from the start of the fourth quarter (60-64, 33rd) after a “2+1From Dario Brizuela (17 pts), she ended up losing in front of the address of the Francs de Jabari Parker (22 pts). Below in defense Wednesday, at the level in this sector but approximate in attack two days later, La Roca Team will have to deliver a complete performance on Tuesday to live its second Final Four after that of 2023.
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EurOGUE: Panathinaikos takes advantage of EFS Istanbul and leads 2-1
Istanbul hangs the Pana
Earlier in the evening, EFS Istanbul also pushed Panathinaikos, holding Euroligue, in a fifth decisive match by dominating it at home (85-82). Turks and Greeks will meet Tuesday in Athens for the third post of the Final Four after those won by Fenerbahçe and Olympiakos.
EFFs has definitely taken control of a match marked by many leader changes in the middle of the last quarter, notably thanks to its leader Elijah Bryant (19 pts at 4/9 to 3 pts).
