Monaco defeated FC Barcelona (93-86) this Friday, April 10 at Gaston Médecin. The Roca Team secured its place in the Euroligue play-in despite limited rotation and a difficult start to the match.
Before the match, Monaco held 8th place and FC Barcelona 10th, with a similar record and the same objective: securing a play-in spot. This 37th Euroligue matchday, the penultimate of the regular season, represented a decisive stage in the race for qualification. The Roca Team approached this meeting with a reduced squad, without Nedovic, Mirotic and Tarpey, and a rotation limited to eight players. In a full Gaston Médecin arena, the stakes were clear: win to gain a direct advantage over a competitor in the standings and move closer to a spot in the final phase.
Monaco had a difficult start to the match. Barcelona imposed a high pace and took advantage of Monaco’s mistakes to build an early 0-8 lead. Daniel Theis stopped the run under the basket. The gap remained stable despite Mike James’ free throws (16 points) and Matthew Strazel’s response at 11-15. Barcelona maintained control at the end of the first quarter 18-26.
The second quarter showed a different face. Elie Okobo (16 points) took the initiative. Juhann Begarin energized the game with an interception followed by a dunk at 29-31. Barcelona relied on its three-point shooting, but Monaco stayed in touch. The Roca Team took the lead before halftime in a tense arena 46-44.
After the break, Monaco imposed a physical challenge. Fouls accumulated on the Barcelona side and the Monégasques capitalized at the free throw line 51-46. Barcelona responded with a series of three-pointers to tie it 58-58. Kevarrius Hayes then scored seven straight points and gave them breathing room 65-58. Elie Okobo closed the quarter with a three-pointer 72-67.
The final quarter remained tight. Barcelona came back again thanks to its three-point shooting embodied by Kévin Punter (26 points) 74-73. Monaco relied on its collective strength and tougher defense. Mike James hit an important shot 79-75. Juhann Begarin intercepted and fed Kevarrius Hayes to extend the lead 85-75. Monaco managed the end of the match and won 93-86.
Six players scored more than ten points for Monaco. The reduced squad did not prevent a solid collective performance. Monaco recorded a second victory and secured a play-in spot before the final matchday.
Matthew Strazel: “proud of the face we showed“
In the Monaco locker room, satisfaction dominated after the match. Coach Manuchar Markoishvili highlighted the spirit displayed by the group: “it’s a great victory. I’m happy for the players and the whole team. We had a difficult defensive moment but the players perfectly corrected the details. The character shown tonight pleases me greatly, we managed to stay calm at the right time. We still have one match to play, we need to win it.”
Matthew Strazel (14 points, six rebounds, five assists) emphasized areas for improvement despite the success: “tonight, I’m satisfied with the victory, that’s the most important thing but we’re still conceding 86 points, defensively we’re making too many mistakes. But without making excuses, it’s not easy physically with a rotation of 8 players. Tonight I’m proud of the face we showed, we have two wins in a row. Despite their shooting accuracy, we made the defensive stops we needed to and managed to secure the rebounds. Few people were betting on us with the context, we showed character and next week we’ll give everything to aim higher. Getting to the play-in without reaching the playoffs is pointless.”
The Roca Team recorded a second Euroligue victory and secured a play-in spot before the final matchday, with the objective of gaining another place in the standings. Monaco will face one final opponent next Friday with the home reception of Hapoel Tel-Aviv.
NicePremium is a free, independent local news outlet.
Help us keep going by supporting our work from €5 per month.
