Basketball: in Monaco, the Elan remains at the gates of a monumental feat
Giovan Oniangue gives the La: first defense and counter on Diallo, followed by 2 quick points on the opposite side. Second defense and here is Monaco who is pushed after 24 seconds with Oniangue again finishing on a quick game (0-4, 2e). Caught cold, Monaco reacted quickly, first by adjusting its defense and then by properly alternating with Diallo…
Giovan Oniangue gives the La: first defense and counter on Diallo, followed by 2 quick points on the opposite side. Second defense and here is Monaco who is pushed after 24 seconds with Oniangue again finishing on a quick game (0-4, 2e). Caught cold, Monaco reacted quickly, first by adjusting its defense then by properly alternating with Diallo and Motiejunas who cleverly separated from the 10-0 that followed. The arrival on the floor of Chikoko does not prevent Mike James from opening his counter to 3 pts (13-4, 5e).
The visitor time-out is compulsory. Despite the enormous pressure suffered by Ouattara then Strazel on Michael Stockton, Elan finds the light (15-8, 7e) and true colors following a double shot at three points served by Sim and Sané (17-16, 8e). Better management of the last 30 seconds allows ASM to regain two large margin possessions against Pau who can curse the already 6 stray balls on the way.
2nd QT: Monaco – Elan 45-42 (20-22)
With a lead ensured by the pair Sim – Ayayi since the 7e, while its incumbent leader rejuvenates, the moose is not in total comfort but finds food thanks to its skill from afar. It is necessary to compensate for the paying bestiality of Donta Hall, author of three big dunks in a row (30-25, 14e) as the room rises to welcome the arrival of Prince Albert in the room! This does not disturb the Palois, even less Landing Sané who converts an offensive rebound before sending the sauce to 6.75m. Sasa Obradovic sees red, his team is joined, the Pau zone defense pays off (33-30, 15e).
It takes all the class of Mike James (10 pts at the break) to ward off the threat of a private attacker from Cummings since his 2e foul in the middle of the first quarter and reappeared in position 3 (40-33, 17e). The 6 offensive rebounds swallowed by Monaco in the quarter encourage Bartecheky to associate Shahrvin with Chikoko. Paying choice, the Elan, which displays a clean 6 out of 12 at 3 points, picks up just before the break.
3rd QT: Monaco – Pau: 61-58 (16-16)
Cummings succeeded from the start with a superb fade-away synonymous with a return to -1 (45-44). The Elan unfortunately soaps its three opportunities, three missed shots, to take control. Then a fourth as Chikoko continues the defensive counters. The fifth is the good one, it arrives by Cummings who does not hesitate to challenge Motiejunas (47-48, 24e). Monaco is stuck in the Béarnaise “zonasse” but manages to find solutions with Motiejunas inside who causes the 3e fault then 4e (technical) from Stockton! A real big blow (52-50, 25e). Elan resisted perfectly despite everything, at the cost of a good collective defensive effort and an interesting Chikoko on the other side (59-58, 29e).
4th QT: Monaco – Pau 83-77 (22-19)
A tap tap from Donta Hall sounds the signal: the Roca Team climbs wildly in the towers. Confirmation on the next action with a 3 point from a boss James released from 9 good meters. In less than a minute, the Elan found themselves in the hard (66-58, 32e). Stockton’s recall is necessary. But what to do with the “animal” Hall who crushes in the circle everything that drags less than a meter away with absolute violence (69-60, 33e)? Continue to defend and remain calm (69-65, 35e) watching for an opening.
She comes after a baseline basket from Garrett Sim (75-72, 37e). After Obradovic’s time-out, Stockton loses an important ball that Okobo transforms into a basket (77-72, 38e). It doesn’t matter, Sim does it again, 3 points for a 77-75 which leaves everything wide open with 1’20 remaining! Chikoko equalizes (77-77) then finds himself on the line 22 seconds from the end… only to miss his two shots, he who had 6 out of 6! After 1 out of 2 from Diallo (78-77), still on the line, Stockton caused James to foul 9 seconds from the end: again a fatal 0 out of 2 which prevented Elan from achieving a monumental feat. Okobo, he does not tremble. Arrghhh!