By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Escaping from Milan with an important victory in Round 6 led by Mike James, AS Monaco has extended his winning streak in the EuroLeague to five games, beating ASVEL 77-70 in the first French derby of the season. Sasa Obradovic’s team has been unbeaten in the EuroLeague since October 13.
The former Panathinaikos and CSKA Moscow guard had yet another impressive night from beyond the arc with 15 points and 3/5 from three-point range, but Alpha Diallo completely stole the show with a stellar night of 21 points (6/9 from downtown), 9 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals.
“No matter what the standings are, we know ASVEL was going to play close. They play hard, they’re a good team and they’re well-coached. They have a lot of discipline. Whenever you come out with a win, I think it’s important”, AS Monaco’s small forward and MVP of the game commented after the win.
In his second game since returning from injury, Jordan Loyd helped his team get the victory against the domestic league rivals with 12 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists. His backcourt partner Elie Okobo added 16 points and 4 assists, while Kemba Walker ended scoreless once more. “We can do much better, but overall we stayed locked in even when they made the run. We’re reaching the top, and it’s not easy: there are a lot of good teams in the EuroLeague”, the French guard commented after the victory.
“I think we put ourselves in a difficult situation, not ASVEL”, Sasa Obradovic said. “We were too nervous, the shots we usually make we hesitated and we didn’t make them. The game was decided by those crucial points from the corner, 45-degree shots. Which we knew it could be a weakness. It’s an important win, ASVEL prepared the game pretty well”, AS Monaco’s head coach added.
ASVEL couldn’t follow on the victory against Zalgiris
Following on his great performance on the road in Lithuania, Timothe Luwawu Cabarrot was once again ASVEL’s highest scorer with 18 points and 4 assists, while Joffrey Lauvergne followed with 11 points and 6 rebounds. Mike Scott also contributed with 11 points and 6 rebounds.
Youssoupha Fall dominated under the rim with 6 points and 12 rebounds. Coming back to the Principality, Paris Lee struggled by scoring only 5 points on 1/4 from deep with 6 turnovers as well. He played for a total of 30:44 minutes, while Frank Jackson didn’t spend a single minute on the court.
Gianmarco Pozzecco also had some words after the loss, asking for respect. “I’m so proud of my players, they almost deserved to win. Not everybody on the court respected us, and that’s what I don’t like most. We deserve respect, we fight, we work hard, and we deserve to have the same opportunities as everybody to win the game. I’m mad. Since I played my first year of basketball, I’ve never seen anything like this on the court. But okay. I want respect”, the Italian head coach commented.
After breaking their nine-month and 18-game losing streak last week against Zalgiris Kaunas, ASVEL (1-6) comes back to the defeat territory, and they will visit ALBA Berlin (1-6) in the following game scheduled on November 15 at 20:00 CET. AS Monaco (5-2), instead, will host Anadolu Efes (3-4) the previous day at 19:00 CET.
PHOTO CREDIT: Turkish Airlines EuroLeague