Monaco gets out of the trap set by Le Mans in Betclic Elite
After the heartbreak of elimination in match 5 of their Euroleague quarter-final against Piraeus against Olympiakos (88-94), Monaco found the Betclic Elite, where Sasa Obradovic’s men were two games behind .
The return has proven difficult, as was to be expected after the whirlwind of emotions experienced over the past two weeks, and the inevitable decompression following the non-qualification for the Final Four of the queen European competition.
Mike James and Donta Hall on rest and replaced on the sheet by Rudy Demahis-Ballou and Ibrahima Fall-Faye, the rest of the formation which had played the decisive match in Greece was renewed. Under pressure while keeping a hope of grabbing the first place now occupied by Asvel, the Roca Team only managed to make the difference in the very last minutes (84-83) thanks to a shot and three decisive spearmen of his chief soloist Dwayne Bacon (17 points), well supported by Donatas Motiejunas (16 points) and Yakuba Ouattara (15).
The MSB, still in the fight for a qualification in the play-offs (9th, 16-16 now) despite a seventh defeat in the last eight Championship games, had bravely played its luck, like the construction site of its rear Darius Johnson-Odom (25 points, 3/5 to 3 points), which allowed his team to stay glued to the Monegasque Basques at the buzzer of the third quarter (59-61) and even to pass momentarily in front (78-77, 37th, on a 3-point shot from Terry Tarpey). But the Manceaux then missed the break point several times, chaining five crippling misses.
Limoges and Dijon qualified for the play-offs
The success of Sasa Obradovic’s men has the consequence of mathematically offering Limoges and Dijon (19-12 and 19-13), which can no longer be joined in the top 8, their sesame for the play-offs. ASM, which has three games left to play in the regular phase (Nanterre, Limoges and Cholet by May 17), remains in ambush (2nd, 23-8) behind Asvel (1st, 24- 8). The defending champion from Villeurbannais is guaranteed to finish first (and therefore to have the advantage of the field during all the play-offs) if he wins his last two matches, against Cholet then in Limoges.