Monaco tears up to win in Kazan
Aurélie SACCHELLI, Media365, published on Friday 08 October 2021 at 20:15
Monaco won their second Euroleague match on Friday, winning 88-80 on the Kazan floor after extra time, in a remake of the last Eurocup final. The Monegasques are tied at the top of the standings with Barça and Zénit St-Petersburg.
Two out of two for Monaco in the Euroleague! A rookie in European competition, the Principality’s club has made a perfect start. After their victory against Panathinaikos in the opening last week, ASM went to win 88-80 in Kazan after extra time, in a remake of the last Eurocup final, already won by Roca Team. This meeting was extremely close, because the two teams never had more than eight points in advance and it was not until overtime to know which side the match would follow. The Roca Team were in the lead at the end of the first quarter (15-18) after taking the lead from the 6th minute. Then the Monegasques kept their short advantage until 17th (32-33), before Kazan quickly returned to the front. But at the half-time buzzer, the young Rudy Demahis (19) managed the small feat of scoring from his own camp on his only shot of the match, and thus allow Monaco to return to the locker room by leading 39-35.
Monaco escapes in two minutes
On resumption, pushed by their 3300 supporters, the Russians pressed on the accelerator and managed to widen their only small gap of the match (+8), at the end of the third quarter (58-50). They thought perhaps they had done the hardest part, but the Monegasques did not let themselves be defeated, far from it. They equalized seven minutes from the end (61-61), then the two teams passed in turn in the last minutes. A tap from Donta Hall, who will finish a Monaco top scorer with 16 points (7/9 on shots, plus 8 rebounds), allowed ASM to lead 73-72 to 1’06 from the end, then Kazan is ironed in front on a shot from former NBA player Mario Hezonja (74-73). And after two Monegasque time-outs, Mike James got the fault a second from the buzzer. He put the first pitch, but not the second, and the two teams therefore had to decide in overtime (74-74). An extension that the Russians led until 2’57 from the end (78-77). But then they conceded a terrible 10-0 (including a 3-point shot from Paris Lee) and it was far too late to come back. Monaco therefore finds itself alongside FC Barcelona and Zenit St Petersburg at the top of the standings, before going to challenge Real next Wednesday. It’s up to ASVEL to do the same, from now on!
Monegasque markers: Demahis (3), Lee (12), Westermann (7), Diallo (1), Motum (11), Boutsiele (4), Motiejunas (5), Gray (5), Andjusic (10), Hall (16), Jacques (14)