Euroleague: Asvel is strong by muzzling Fenerbahçe, Monaco provides against Milan
Reverse calendar for Asvel and Monaco Thursday in the Euroleague. While the Roca Team lost at Fenerbahçe Istanbul (94-98, ap) last week while Asvel revived in Milan (79-73), the reigning French champion and his runner-up exchanged their opponent while playing at home. For two identical numbers, two wins.
That of the Monegasques at Gaston-Médecin, facing the last tie of the competition, was rather expected, and yet it was the most complicated to obtain. The fault of a match that the men of Sasa Obradovic wanted at all costs to pack from an offensive point of view, delaying at the same time their ability to defend the lead. For once, the Milanese, who have only been shooting at 69.8 points per evening since the start of the European season, have been much more efficient, driven in particular by the tricolor international Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot (19 points, his best mark of the season in the Euroleague).
101
The 101 points scored by Monaco against Milan is an attacking record this season for the Roca Team, which had already scored 95 points twice.
Opposite, Mike James was particularly altruistic, alternating responsibility (13 points at the break, 18 in the end) and assists (10). With the exception of the first basket of the game, Elie Okobo (19 points, 7 assists) and others were no longer behind. They could however regret not having been able to capitalize more quickly on a hot start (12-3), nor on a few gaps changed several times (38-30; 45-36; 63-53). Thanks to a depth of staff and more bleeding rotations, Monaco ended up creating a significant gap and won a victory (101-88) which replaced the club of the principality in second place, one victory behind the leader, Real Madrid (14 wins against 13).
De Colo and Asvel cover Fener
Five firecrackers and a firework. Thanks to an impressive start to the match (an initial 11-0), the work of Dee Bost (three winning shots in a row), Asvel’s latest recruit, the Lyonnais won a prestigious victory against Fenerbahçe (91-77), yet the first tie at the start of the 21st day of the Euroleague. Apathetic, the visitors let themselves be left far too quickly (19-4, 7th), to the benefit of the proteges of TJ Parker, who took the opportunity to distribute the playing time without the quality dropping on the ground.
The fifteen points difference obtained at the break, allowed by a nice long distance success (8 out of 17), have never really been called into question. Nando De Colo made it a point of honor to shine against his former team (2019-2022), compiling 26 points (for 30 evaluation). A performance which earned him a deserved ovation from the Astroballe while the young Zaccharie Risacher (17) made a good copy (10 points in 20 minutes).
If the qualifying zone for the play-offs still seems very far away (8 successes for the Rhodaniens, 11 for Maccabi and Vitoria who are 7th and 8th with one game less), this second victory in a row for the Villeurbannais will have the merit to put the French champion in the best possible conditions before the hexagonal shock scheduled for Sunday, at home against Monaco.