By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Jordan Loyd scored 19 points, Elie Okobo added 18 points and both of them made decisive plays down the stretch as AS Monaco defeated Baskonia 102 – 93 on the road. Despite the absence of leading scorer and passer Mike James, the Monegasque team grabbed a key away win to improve to 18-10 and remain in the Top 4 in the standings.
Darius Thompson had a pretty double-double for Baskonia with a EuroLeague career-high 20 points plus 12 assists and Markus Howard dropped 20 points but the hosts didn’t make enough stops, especially in crunch time. This defeat dropped them to 15-13.
“Hell of a EuroLeague game,” Loyd said. “This is a great team, especially here at their home. Props to them, they are having a great season, but this is a huge team win, big for the club. We are super, super excited about this one. Everybody contributed.”
After a very close battle in the second half, Howard put Baskonia up 91 – 87 with 2:45 to play. Okobo and Loyd took over to combine for a 0-9 run, capped by a bucket by the French guard.
Thompson made the basket and won the foul by Chima Moneke on the other end but didn’t make the free throw. Loyd then drained one of his favorite midrange jumpers and Okobo dunked in transition after a missed 3-point attempt by Howard to make it 93 – 100 with 13 seconds remaining and seal Monaco’s win.
“The game, in the last minutes, we didn’t control the 2+1 and 3+1,” said Baskonia coach Joan Penarroya. “These are small details, and it is a game. In our last game against Real Madrid, we had very good percentages in the last minutes, and we didn’t today.”
Moneke delivered strong contribution with 14 points plus 13 rebounds in his top performance yet with Monaco’s jersey. Alpha Diallo had 17 points and Donta Hall posted 15 points plus five rebounds.
“The highlight was our togetherness, our team spirit, our wish to stay together and to play together,” Monaco coach Sasa Obradovic said. “I am happy for this, maybe this year in the EuroLeague, [this is] the win I liked the most. It [five players in double digits] means that we were a team, that’s it. Every time you win on the road, it is great, so we are still aiming as high as possible.”