Basketball. Olympiacos overthrow Monaco and qualify for the Euroleague Final Four
Monaco will have dominated most of the meeting before facing the solidity of Olympiacos (94-88).
In a crazy atmosphere, where the spectators even cracked the smoke bombs and descended on the floor causing the end of the match, the Monegasques were eliminated at the gates of the final.
They had however failed with a bang, jostling the Greeks in their room and in front of their public, thanks to the high-class performances of Paris Lee and Yakuba Ouattara, excellent at three points. Team Roca even went back to the locker room at the break with a seven-point lead, very good skill (8/10 and 44% from three points) and boosted confidence.
The Olympiacos experience
But it was necessary to suspect that the triple champions of the Euroleague (1997, 2012, 2013) were not going to let it go so easily. Within minutes they were back behind, returning to 55-55.
And behind, they made their experience speak, wearing down the Monegasques and causing mistakes to force them to slow down. Result, Lee was taken out and Mike James with his four faults had to take his troubles patiently. The last three minutes were unsustainable, with Monaco and then Olympiacos regaining the lead until Tyler Dorsey’s flash of genius and James missing his last shot, sealing the fate of the Rock players.
By winning on Wednesday, Olympiancos continues the cursed series of visiting teams since fourteen teams who traveled for the decisive match have now failed to win and qualify for the final.
Small consolation for the players of Sasa Obradovic, they have their ticket for the next Euroleague season thanks to his qualification for the play-offs of this Champions League.
As for French basketball, we will have to wait at least 26 years to see an Elite club again participate in the Final Four. There are only two clubs to have achieved this feat: Limoges, winner of the competition in 1993, and ASVEL in 1997. Monaco fought well, but missed their chance…