La Roca Team imposed itself on the Strasbourg court 118 to 114. A success snatched in overtime. This victory remains precious before hosting Olympiakos, with the objective of reversing the series.
A victory to regain confidence. The players from the Principality won in pain, after overtime, in Strasbourg (118-114). After two defeats in Athens, Monaco made the most of it this Sunday evening.
La Roca Team is shaken at the moment of facing Strasbourg, at Renhus Sport. The Monégasques lost their two matches against the Olympiakos this week in Euroleague. The match of the 28th day of Betclic Elite takes place before match 3 of the play-offs, already decisive for access to the Euroleague Final Four. The Strasbourg team, for their part, is coming off a victory against Le Portel, Tuesday evening.
La Roca Team is shaken from the start
AS Monaco Basket must reassure itself before the return of Euroleague! But the start of the match is not ideal for the team from the Rock. Strasbourg brings intensity, something that Monaco struggles to do. A symbol of this season, Mike James and his teammates are dominated in the rebound battle.
The Monégasques are suffering in their paint. Despite similar statistics, Monaco seems to be struggling against the Alsatians. La Roca Team cannot make a difference in its first ten minutes. Perfect equality on the scoreboard at the end of the first quarter (23-23).
La Roca Team leading at halftime
AS Monaco Basket starts this second quarter perfectly. More aggressive, the Monégasques create a gap with their opponent of the evening. They have a twelve-point lead (46-34). Only, not everything goes necessarily as planned. The lead melts away. The Alsatians come back to within three points (46-43).
The players from the Principality remain ahead on the scoreboard (53-45) thanks to their accuracy from three-point range. Elie Okobo and his teammates are successful in this second quarter, with a 6/11 in this period.
La Roca Team does not extend the lead
Monaco gives the impression that only victory matters, this evening, on the Strasbourg court. The Monégasques are intermittent. They follow a good run with a bad one just as quickly. An inconsistent performance, keeping the Alsatians in the game.
In terms of content, the Roca Team loses too many balls during this return from the locker room (five turnovers). Strasbourg toughens the game in this second half. Monaco does not bend and stays the course for now (76-74).
Victory in pain for La Roca Team
AS Monaco Basket does not shake off Strasbourg in this end of match. Despite this, the Monégasques are more accurate in front of the basket, in this final stretch of the match, than their opponent of the evening. From long distance, the Strasbourgeois will have failed with a 0/4. A lack of accuracy that benefited the team from the Rock. Yet, the Alsatians had a game-winning shot they did not convert. It is a tie after 40 minutes of play (103-103).
Not without difficulty, La Roca Team imposed itself on the Strasbourg court (118-114), in overtime. An important victory to maintain first place in the standings. A crucial success for morale, after a difficult week in Piraeus. But overtime is likely to leave marks on the physical level.
No more room for error in Euroleague
La Roca Team must no longer lose against Olympiakos to hope to see the Final Four. Match 3 of the play-off series will take place, Tuesday evening (May 5), at Gaston Médecin. In case of victory, another match will be played, once again in Monaco. The Monégasques will return to Betclic Elite, next Sunday (May 10), against Paris Basketball. The match will count for the 29th day of the championship, synonymous with the penultimate of the regular season.
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