This evening, the Roca Team hosted the Spaniards from Valencia. A solid team that intermittently posed problems for the Monégasques.
The Roca Team was back at Gaston Médecin this evening for the reception of Valencia in the Euroleague, with the obligation to react after the defeat in Bologna. Vassilis Spanoulis’s men displayed a balanced record (two wins, two losses) after four Euroleague games and needed to kick-start the machine before facing a busy schedule. Opposite them, a consistently formidable Spanish lineup (second-best offense in the competition, Editor’s note), also eager to move forward again after two consecutive losses. “We started too sluggishly in Bologna,” admitted Jaron Blossomgame after the Virtus match. The forward emphasized the need to better share the ball to regain offensive effectiveness. For this match, the Monegasque lineup remained unchanged, with Yoan Makoundou continuing his recovery. Tonight, the objective was clear: return to a positive record against a historic European basketball adversary, accustomed to continental clashes.
In the first quarter, Monaco was aggressive and stifled Valencia, which did not seem at its prime. With 60% shooting success, the Roca Team quickly took a six-point lead and even went ahead by eight points (14-6). Matthew Strazel and Nikola Mirotic led the attack for the Rock’s men. Through experience, the Valencians managed to rally with difficulty to conclude the first quarter at (27-22).
The second quarter largely shifted in favor of Vassilis Spanoulis’s men. A veritable offensive recital against a sluggish team incapable of threatening the Monégasques. Despite being known for their ability to tear apart defenses, Valencia was unrecognizable. The gap inexorably widened to +20 by halftime (57-37).
Letting Up and Stress
Upon resumption, things evolved, but not in the right way for the Roca Team. Off-time, the defense was walked over. Completely out of sync on rebounds, the Monégasques saw their opponents come back to within seven points. Losing their rhythm, Mike James’s teammates got scared. Like Élie Okobo (4 points), offensive ineptitude changed camps. The spectators at Gaston Médecin trembled and watched as their team allowed the Spaniards to quietly come back, who carried out their task exemplified by Brancou Badio with 12 points scored in the third quarter. Before the last ten minutes, Valencia was only trailing by (71-62).
Under the gaze of recent Shanghai Masters 1,000 winner Valentin Vacherot, the players from the Principality reacted timidly. They managed to widen the gap back to +12 thanks to the good work of Mike James’s assists to Alpha Diallo (16 points) and Jaron Blossomgame, who was one of the most effective Monégasques this evening. Though the players from the Principality did not convince tonight, they nevertheless left with the victory (90-84).
Now, the focus must turn to the championship from Sunday onwards with a tricky trip to Villeurbanne to challenge Tony Parker’s ASVEL in Betclic Elite. Then, at the start of next week, the Roca Team will travel to Israel to face Hapoel Tel-Aviv as part of the 6th day of the Euroleague.
