The Monaco team, already qualified for the Euroleague play-offs where they will face the Greeks of Olympiakos Piraeus from April 19, ended their regular season in style by beating Alba Berlin (91- 74) Friday evening in its Gaston-Médecin room.
Before the meeting, Monaco was guaranteed to finish 7th in the regular phase. The “Roca Team” was therefore able to offer its supporters, including Prince Albert, a stress-free but very diligent match.
Driven by their coach Sasa Obradovic’s demand for excellence, the Monegasques have remained in line with what they have been able to provide since the start of the return phase.
Moreover, over this period, the Principality’s team was simply the most successful in the competition (11 wins, 3 losses). If we except the error of course at home once morest Kaunas (82-83, February 10), it only lost to Barcelona and once morest Real Madrid at home. Two teams that she will not be able to meet until the final anyway.
“Qualifying is an accomplishment but also the start of a new story,” smiled Obradovic at a post-match press conference.
– “My boys will never let go” –
“We proved that we might beat anyone,” he said. “It’s never easy playing us. I feel like my boys will never let go.”
Monaco will therefore face Olympiakos, who received a correction of 20 points from Gaston-Médecin, on March 23 (92-72). “We sent a message,” recalls Paris Lee. “And you have to allow yourself to dream,” says Obradovic.
This quarter-final will be played in the best of five rounds, the first two between April 19 and 22 in Piraeus. “It will be madness there, in front of 15,000 people, it will play very hard”, already analyzes Leo Westermann. “You will have to be ready.”
The Gaston-Médecin room will then host at least one meeting and possibly a fourth between April 26 and 29. As for the possible fifth and final meeting, it will take place in Greece at the beginning of May. But the Monegasques are not there yet.
“It will be difficult anyway, continues Obradovic. We are waiting for this type of match all season, to challenge ourselves. What we have done so far is fabulous, especially in the second half of the season. But it will be totally different. Everything will be more complicated.”
– “Very strong offensively” –
Proud to have achieved the first part of the presidential objectives at the start of the season (qualification for the Euroleague Top 8 allowing them to play a second consecutive season in the competition), the Monegasques are already savoring the present moment.
Because Monaco, which also aims to win the title of champion of France, released a very solid match once morest Berlin, with a very good overall level. Mike James (7 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists), who received his trophy for best player of the month in March in the competition, quickly made two mistakes and let the light shine on his partners.
Despite his giant Christ Koumadje (2.23 m) – on which Dwayne Bacon, with whom he was in college, slammed an exceptional dunk (59-44, 26th) -, despite an ease at three points at the start of the game (4 out of 4), Berlin never existed. Bacon (19 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist), Donatas Motiejunas (18 points, 3 rebounds, 1 block) and Alpha Diallo (13 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 assist) ensured.
“James is our leader but he is not the only one, appreciates Obradovic. The team continues to grow collectively.” “They were really very strong offensively, concludes Israel Gonzalez, the Berlin coach. We mightn’t defend as we wanted. I wish them the best for the play-offs.”