**The Roca Team defeated Maccabi Tel-Aviv 112 to 107 after overtime. A victory achieved through pain and thanks to an excellent Mike James.**
This Thursday evening, AS Monaco Basket faced off against **the Israelis of Maccabi Tel-Aviv** in Belgrade. The match was relocated due to the geopolitical context. The Monรฉgasques come into this in **full confidence**, following three wins last week. Two EuroLeague victories against the Greeks **from Olympiakos and Panathinaikos**, and [a win on the court of Limoges](https://www.nicepremium.fr/sports/roca-team-limoges-betclic-elite/) in Betclic Elite. **A benchmark week** for the men of Vassilis Spanoulis.
Still flying high, the Roca Team is determined to **continue their momentum** tonight and rack up a **third consecutive victory** in the competition. On the opposite side tonight, Maccabi Tel-Aviv is experiencing a poor start to the EuroLeague season. The Israelis have won only two of their first eight games.
## A bad habit resurfaces
In their last two outings, the Monรฉgasques started their games very well. However, tonight, Matthew Strazel’s teammates **fell back into bad habits**. They struggled again in defense, though without being left behind in the score.
The players from the Principality have **suffered greatly in their paint**. The Israelis grabbed five offensive rebounds against seven defensive rebounds. Vassilis Spanoulis’s men ended these first ten minutes **four points behind their opponents of the evening (22-26)**.
## A very balanced second quarter
The second quarter of this match is **extremely tight**. The two teams are almost evenly matched in every aspect of the game. This is evident on the stat sheet and in the score, as the **Monรฉgasques clinch this second act by just one point**, closing the gap to three points (46-49).
Notably in this quarter, the Israelis seemed to momentarily break away with a ten-point lead. The Roca Team managed the situation perfectly, **closing the gap with an impressive 10-0 run**.
## The Roca Team overwhelmed in the paint
As in the first quarter, **the Monรฉgasques were thoroughly dominated in the paint**. Over these ten minutes, Maccabi Tel-Aviv collected 11 rebounds compared to just four for the club from the Rock. A **huge defensive flaw** this evening on the part of the Roca Team.
Despite these difficulties, Vassilis Spanoulis’s men managed to **come within just one point of their opponent**, albeit briefly. The Israelis regained a comfortable lead and ended this quarter with a **five-point advantage (71-76)**.
## A tremendous Mike James delivers victory to the Roca Team
Thanks to an excellent [Mike James](https://www.bebasket.fr/mike-james-sur-le-point-de-detroner-nando-de-colo-au-classement-historique-de-levaluation-en-euroleague), the **Roca Team turned the game around in the last ten minutes**. The American player scored 31 points, grabbed six rebounds, and dished out six assists. The AS Monaco Basket point guard is unstoppable and appears to **lead his team towards victory**. Despite a seven-point lead, the Roca Team **could not avoid overtime (96-96)**.
While Mike James was in great form tonight, **this was not the case for Nikola Mirotic**. The Spaniard struggled. A symbol of his difficult evening, he scored his first points with two and a half minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. It was a match to forget for the power forward of the Roca Team.
In overtime, **AS Monaco Basket triumphed 112 to 107**, marking their third consecutive win in the EuroLeague. A hard-fought victory, but one that allows them to continue their excellent streak.
The next match for the Roca Team is on Sunday against Saint-Quentin in Betclic Elite, on the court of Gaston Mรฉdecin. The Picard team has only one victory in six championship games. In the EuroLeague, the next stop will be **in Belgrade against Partizan**, on Tuesday night.
