By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Mike James scored 19 points (5-14 from the field) and AS Monaco brought down defending EuroLeague champion Anadolu Efes at home with a 95 – 92 win in overtime.
James hit the go-ahead basket to make it 90 – 88 with 46 seconds to play in the extra period. Amath M’Baye won the foul for Efes but missed both of his free throws while on the other end, Alpha Diallo put Monaco at a two-possession distance.
The two teams continued taking trips to the line and Diallo drained another pair to secure Monaco’s win. He capped a superb all-around performance of 15 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
“[This win] was definitively a confidence-builder for us,” Diallo said. “Having the defending champs here, we knew it was going to be a tough fight. We knew we couldn’t just win in the first 20 minutes. We knew we had to fight the whole game to come up with a win.”
James had also made the jumper that basically sent the game to overtime, when he scored for the 82 – 82 with 29 seconds remaining in regulation. Vasa Micic pulled for the potential game-winner but misfired against the defense of both Donta Hall and John Brown.
“I think we just played as a team, played defense, helped each other out,” James said. “We just want to build something, keep moving and getting better, so this is what we are trying to get to.”
Former Efes forward Adrien Moerman scored 14 points for Monaco in his first game vs. his previous team. He played a big part in the second period, where Monaco bounced back from a poor first quarter (12-20) and went on to take a 36 – 35 lead at halftime. Donatas Motiejunas also dropped 14 points for Monaco.
“I think that, given the moment of the season we are in, the game was high-quality,” Monaco coach Sasa Obradovic said. “Both tactically, and also for the fans, with the overtime. I think it was a very good game to attend. I’m happy for the win, of course, we won against a great team, with great individuals.”
Will Clyburn led Efes with 27 points, six rebounds, and six assists while Micic finished with 19 points, seven assists but also six turnovers.
“It was a spectacular game for the spectators, a difficult game for us,” Anadolu Efes coach Ergin Ataman said. “I think we had many chances to close the game before overtime, but we missed our last 2 possessions. During the game, we made a lot of turnovers; we had 16. It was the key for Monaco to win the game. In overtime, we missed the free throws, they scored the free throws, and they deserved to win because they were more successful from the line. So, congratulations to them. It was a good game.”