Monaco raises its head but got scared
Aurélien CANOT, Media365, published on Friday October 21, 2022 at 10:35 p.m.
Beaten last Tuesday by Maccabi Tel-Aviv, Monaco recovered on Friday by winning in Greece against Panathinaikos (83-80) thanks again to a huge Mike James (27 points). The Roca Team indeed imposed itself in pain when it counted up to 18 points in advance.
After two victories in the first two games, Monaco stopped short on Tuesday, beaten on the floor by a team from Maccabi Tel-Aviv who then played a nasty trick on ASVEL, our other representative. At the time of moving for the third time of the season, Friday in Greece to face Panathinaikos, the Roca Team therefore had above all in mind to return to success and to restart the machine after the hitch caused. But of course, beyond a simple victory to find a smile, the Monegasques would not have spat against a large success, which is the best way to immediately rebuild their confidence. The success offered, the players of the Principality obtained it. On the other hand, it didn’t turn out as big as expected. Worse: Monaco did not go very far from a second defeat in the same week. Carried by a once again exceptional Mike James (27 points), the players of sasa Obradovic counted well up to 18 points in advance (they had led by 19 points on Tuesday before losing) in this part which they had suffered much better than their evening opponents (40-34 at the break).
Fortunately, Mike James…
However, that did not prevent them from winning at the finish by only three small points (83-80) against the 14th in the standings and six-time winner of the Euroleague, who was able to count on a Derrick Williams from gala (28 points) to come back to life. And if James (not involved in the action which allowed his team to breathe in the money time) had not had the good idea to give a boost at the end of the match like Donta Hall, not to mention that he had been able to give at the start of the meeting, the Monegasques would perhaps only have their eyes to cry at the moment it is. This is not the case, the Roca Team prevailed. And now with a record of 3 wins for a single defeat in the competition, it can boast of being firmly established in the Top 8. But to stay there, it will not be necessary to squander such advantages in each match.