After their narrow defeat against Virtus Bologna in the Euroleague, the Roca Team responded perfectly this Sunday in the French championship. At Gaston Médecin, the Monégasques outclassed Le Portel (113-86), the bottom of the Betclic Elite, in a one-sided match.
The context of the match left little room for suspense. On one side, a Monégasque team looking to bounce back after three European defeats but proud of eight consecutive victories in the championship. On the other, Le Portel, last in the standings, without its leader Ivan Février (suspended), and forced to present themselves with only six professional players, without a true center.
In this initially unbalanced match, Monaco took the lead from the first quarter, 26-19, before gradually accelerating: 27-21 in the second, 31-21 in the third, and 29-25 to conclude. An impressive offensive consistency allowed coach Vassilis Spanoulis’s men to once again surpass the 100-point mark in this Betclic Elite season, as they did earlier against Gravelines.
Mastered squad management
As expected, the Greek coach rotated his squad widely, resting several key players or managing their playing time, distributing minutes throughout his squad. Mike James (17 minutes) still scored 16 points, while Nikola Mirotic was very effective with 17 points on 8/10 shooting. Elie Okobo was the top scorer for Roca Team with 20 points at 86% shooting accuracy. Jaron Blossomgame also contributed with ten points in as many minutes played. Conversely, Donta Hall (absent) was rested, allowing for an extended rotation.
The Monégasque collective shone: 29 assists, 34 rebounds (including 10 offensive), six blocks, five steals, and only seven turnovers. A complete performance, marked by an overall shooting accuracy of 59.7% (37/62), 42.9% from three-point range (12/28), and 81.8% from the free-throw line (27/33).
For Le Portel, the losing streak continues. This 18th day of Betclic Elite resulted in their 17th defeat, the 12th consecutive across all competitions (their last success was on October 28 in Limoges). After Kenny Grant’s dismissal, Arnaud Ricoux experienced his baptism of fire under unbearable conditions. Without Ivan Février, the Northerners tried to minimize the damage, but were quickly overwhelmed.
Mike Smith, who played almost the entire game, was the only true offensive threat and ended as the game’s top scorer with 31 points on 10/16 shooting. Greg Lee (18 points), Lucas Fischer (13 points), and Christopher Ebunangombe (11 points) offered some resistance, but the overall effort remained too limited. Le Portel finished with 24 rebounds, ten assists, three blocks, six steals, but also 11 turnovers and 24 personal fouls. Despite a 100% free-throw percentage (16/16), the physical and technical gap was too large.
With this ninth consecutive win in the championship, Monaco solidifies its position at the top of the table. The management of their efforts ahead of a perilous double European week (Kaunas then Munich) seems successful. The Roca Team remains unbeaten at home in Betclic Elite and shows a valuable bench depth.
Le Portel, on the other hand, sinks deeper into crisis. Without reinforcements or a breakthrough, relegation seems unavoidable. The next match will be crucial to try to stop the hemorrhage.
The Roca Team will travel to Lithuania on Tuesday to challenge Zalgiris Kaunas in an atmosphere that promises to be heated despite the Siberian temperatures currently affecting the country. The kick-off is at 7 PM.
