In a completely wild end to the match, the Roca Team won on ASVEL’s court (102-98). After a very poor first half, the Monegasques turned the tide.
This Sunday, AS Monaco faced ASVEL on the court of the LDLC Arena. After their victory against Valencia on Friday night, the Monegasques wanted to continue in the Betclic Elite, a week after the excellent result against Paris Basketball.
Vassilis Spanoulis’s men expected another battle against Villeurbanne, and they got it. The first quarter set the tone with lots of pace and intensity. The Rhone team developed a very physical style of basketball, which somewhat troubled the Roca Team players. The beginning of the game was offensive, as shown by the scoreboard: 28-23 for ASVEL.
AS Monaco Basket struggles to fix its defensive issues since the beginning of the season. ASVEL players took advantage of it with clinical blocks during these first ten minutes. The Roca Team struggled at the start of the game, a bad habit this season.
The Roca Team in defensive agony
If a reaction was expected in the second quarter, it didn’t happen. Villeurbanne continued their efforts and gradually widened the score gap. The Principality players suffered immensely on external shots. Opposing them, ASVEL players were on fire, scoring no less than five three-pointers in this quarter, eight in total in the first half. In comparison, Mike James’s teammates had one out of nine in this exercise.
Villeurbanne was very inspired in this game. The emblem of this great form is Adam Atamna. The 17-year-old shooting guard was unstoppable, scoring 14 points. Thanks to his spur, he posed big problems to the Monegasques. ASVEL ended the first half with a very good 14-point lead (41-55). Speaking to the broadcaster at halftime, Matthew Strazel had very strong words: “We’re getting battered from all sides!”
The Monegasque awakening
Returning from the locker room, Vassilis Spanoulis asked his players to “play defense.” This message was apparently heard by the men in white that night. More solid defensively, the Roca Team began to catch up. The players from Monaco displayed a very different attitude compared to the first half, putting the Rhone team under pressure.
Offensively, the Monegasques were led by a hot Mike James. The Roca Team’s point guard scored 12 consecutive points. A peak of form that allowed AS Monaco Basket to come within four small lengths of their evening opponents (72-76). Roca is back in this game.
The Roca Team wins in a wild end to the match
The suspense reached its height in the last moments of this game. The two teams did not take their eyes off each other, engaging in an intense battle. The largest gap in this part was four points in favor of AS Monaco Basket.
The last moments of the match were crazy. ASVEL missed an easy two-point shot to tie the game. Mike James converted the two ensuing free throws, allowing the Roca Team to win. A remarkable comeback for Vassilis Spanoulis’s men.
The next match for the Roca Team, will be in the Euroleague, against Hapoel Tel-Aviv. A game to be held in Sofia, Bulgaria, on Thursday night. In the championship, AS Monaco Basket will host Boulazac next Sunday, for the fifth day of Betclic Elite competition.
