AS Monaco Basket was defeated on the court of Panathinaikos, 97 to 107. The second quarter was fatal for the Monegasques. A logical defeat for a weakened Monegasque team.
The mission was almost impossible! The Roca Team could not avoid defeat on the court of Panathinaikos, 97 to 107. A fervent crowd and a Monegasque team that collapsed in the second quarter. The task was complex given the list of absentees. Although Mirotic made his return, Daniel Theis and Mike James were out for this match.
The Telekom Center in Athens is packed this Friday evening for the visit of AS Monaco Basket. A match that counts for the 34th day of the Euroleague. The Roca Team arrives confident on the court of Panathinaikos, following their stunning victory against Milan. On their side, the Greeks are on a five-game winning streak.
A sluggish start to the match
The stars of this first quarter are the Greek supporters! The Roca Team landed in hell on the court of Panathinaikos. The teammates of Matthew Strazel have to face five players on the court and over 18,000 people in the stands. This pressure is evident in the high number of turnovers by the Roca players. The Monegasques lost six balls in four minutes. In comparison, they average 10.7 per game.
Nevertheless, the Roca Team does not give up and stays close to their opponent. Thanks to better shooting accuracy (58% vs. 37%), AS Monaco Basket finishes this first quarter leading in score (16-15). A closely contested start to the game.
The Roca Team founders
The Monegasque supporters feared it, and it happened! The Roca Team sinks in this second act. Spurred on by an electric atmosphere, the Greeks overpower the players from the Principality. A symbol of this domination, the battle for rebounds is one-sided. In this second quarter, Panathinaikos won twice as many rebounds (16 to 8).
An outrageously visible domination in the score. AS Monaco Basket is overshadowed and heads to the locker room with a 17-point deficit (35-52). One thing is sure, the absence of Mike James is felt on the Monegasque side.
The Roca Team improves, but it’s not enough
After ten minutes underwater, the Roca Team regains some color. The Monegasques find their shooting touch. From beyond the arc, the men from the Rock finish the quarter at 4/8. The contest levels out again in this match. However, the deficit for the Monegasques remains significant, with 16 points lead for the Greeks (62-78).
On an individual level, one man tries to keep the Roca Team alive in this game. Elie Okobo is 16 points and eight assists at the start of the final ten minutes.
No thrilling fourth quarter
This time, the Roca Team doesn’t perform a stunning final quarter. Unlike the game against Milan, AS Monaco Basket does not come back in the score and falls 97 to 107. A logical defeat against Panathinaikos, after the significant slip in the second act. The atmosphere of the Telekom Center in Athens proved to be fatal for Manuchar Markoishvili’s men.
There is one more opponent to face at the end of this week. The Monegasques host Le Mans, for the 24th day of Betclic Élite, on Sunday evening. In the Euroleague, the next match will be against Dubai, on Thursday, April 2.
