Monaco overthrows Red Star Belgrade and retains all its chances of playing in the play-offs
AS Monaco overthrew Red Star Belgrade (91-80) on the 25th day of the Euroleague on Thursday February 3, in Serbia, and is clinging to the qualifying places for the Final 8.
Once again, the Roca Team showed that it was a two-headed team, capable of the worst as well as the best, in the boiling room of Belgrade. Led by twenty points after a catastrophic start to the match, it seemed to be heading for a rout against the Serbs, who were fourteenth in the standings.
For a long time, the Monegasques paid for their defensive errors: poor reading of the screens, uncertain replies, too little pressure on three-point shots… With the consequence of a delay of eleven points at the end of the first quarter (30- 19). A burst of aggression in the middle of the second quarter, however, allowed the Roca Team to reduce the gap to ten points at the end of the first period (52-42).
Then in the second period, ASM showed its second face, increased its defensive pressure until it stifled the Red Star, which lost its exceptional three-point address, which went from 60% at the start of the third quarter to 44 .4% (12/27) late in the game.
➖2️⃣0️⃣ up for grabs pic.twitter.com/UcJfqZ78r0
— AS Monaco Basket (@ASMonaco_Basket) February 3, 2022
In attack, she was able to count on her pivot Donatas Motejiunas (20 points, 6 rebounds, 3/3 on his winning shots) and her winger Dwayne Bacon (17 points). Paris Lee, the other leader of ASM, sealed the result of the match by scoring seven points on the last possessions.
Thanks to this second consecutive victory, Monaco maintains a balanced record (twelve wins-twelve losses) and takes eighth place from Efes Istanbul, Friday’s opponents of Asvel (13th), who must win to get closer to the qualifying places for the final phase.