By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
Victory number 13 for AS Monaco in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, as they defeated EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 101-88.
Mike James posted a double-double with 18 points and ten assists, but Elie Okobo got the highest PIR of 22, with 19 points and seven assists.
“Offensively, we were very good, and defensively we will have to work a little more; we will analyze on video. I try to do everything to stay aggressive and consistent and contribute to the team,” Okobo stated.
John Brown added 15 points, Donta Hall 11 with eight rebounds, while Alpha Diallo and Jordan Loyd added 11 points each.
For Milan, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot had 19 points, Naz Mitrou Long followed with 14, Devon Hall and Deshaun Thomas added 12 points each, and Kyle Hines had 10.
Monaco’s dominance can be clearly seen in the statistics. They got to a 101-point win with only nine three-pointers but with great precision. The hosts shot 29/44 for two points and 9/17 from beyond the arc, which points to a bunch of easy baskets.
“We needed the win, so we tried to play together, play hard, and fix some things from the last game. Still, we didn’t play that good at defense, but we shared the ball and won,” Mike James said after the game.
At the very beginning, Monaco took control with a 12-3 run and, with a few hiccups, got to the first break with a 29-22 lead. They stayed in front until halftime, with 57-50 for the hosts on the scoreboard after 20 minutes of play.
Milan had a strong push midway through the third quarter but only managed to tie the score, and Monaco quickly got the lead back and entered the final 10 minutes with 80-74. The game was already a high-scoring one. Still, Sasa Obradivic’s team used the final 10 minutes to push even harder, got to a double-digit surplus, and finished the game in a pretty dominant manner.
“Congratulations to Coach Obradovic and his team. We made the match competitive until we tied at 69-69 in the third period. That was the moment we paid for some poor execution and lost contact. Unfortunately, the turnovers were a problem again this time. We have too many guards playing out of position due to injuries and missing players, and obviously, we are not solid enough in this sector. It is not an excuse but the reality of the facts,” Ettore Messina said after the game.