AS Monaco’s victory over FC Barcelona (78-66) in the match for third place in the Euroleague basketball game in Kaunas (Lithuania) this Sunday, May 21 is excellent news for the club from the principality… but also for the whole of French basketball.
By winning against the Spaniards, the players of Monaco snatch a place on the podium of the European competition. This had not happened since 1993 and the title of Limoges in this same Euroleague. In 1997, Asvel, the previous representative of the French championship in the last four of the C1, lost for bronze against Olimpija Ljubljana. Monaco took part in the first Final Four in its history.
In a Zalgirio Arena with an empty third in the first period before the atmosphere warmed up with the arrival of Olympiacos supporters (opposing Real Madrid in the final), ASM kept their word against the demobilized Catalans. Led by 11 points after the first quarter, during which they lost 7 balls, the Barcelonans woke up slightly after half-time (44-28 for Monaco), returning in the middle of the third quarter to 10 units from Monaco (52-42).
The Rock club then stepped on the accelerator again to seal their victory five minutes from the end (72-53). He approaches the start of the Elite playoffs with a victory (match 1 of the quarter-finals against Strasbourg on Wednesday), where he will not have the right to make mistakes this time after dominating the regular season and losing three of the four last finals (2018, 2019, 2022).
Other key players in ASM’s success were center Donta Hall (9 points and 11 rebounds) and winger Alpha Diallo (10 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists). Winner of the Eurocup in 2021, antechamber of the Euroleague, quarter-finalist of the C1 last year and therefore on the podium in 2023 for its second participation in the competition, AS Monaco will try to climb a step of more next year. But getting back to the Final Four in 2024 will be “twice as hard,” warned Obradovic.