At the end of a controlled encounter from start to finish, Monaco got the better of FC Barcelona (78-66) and ended its Euroleague season with the bronze medal.
The “Roca Team” does not leave Kaunas empty-handed! 48 hours after the disappointment of a missed third quarter against Olympiacos which deprived him of a place in the Euroleague final which was reaching out to him, Monaco concluded its continental journey with a prestigious success against FC Barcelona in the small final. From the first moments, Sasa Obradovic’s players took control on the scoreboard with the Blaugrana only able to pass in front of the space of 17 seconds after a three-point shot from Alex Abrines (9 points) to which Alpha Diallo (10 points, 6 rebounds) immediately responded.
It was in the last four minutes of the first quarter that the Monegasques really took the lead over the Catalans. A 14-3 lead by Jordan Loyd (9 points, 6 assists) and Donta Hall (9 points, 11 rebounds) allowed the “Roca Team” to count eleven lengths ahead after ten minutes of play. If Jan Vesely ( 6 points) allowed the Blaugrana to drop below the ten-point mark at the start of the second quarter, but Nikola Mirotic’s teammates (15 points) never managed to get closer before the break.
🤩 The #RocaTeam wonderfully ends its season@euroleague winning 3rd place in #F4GLORY 🥉👏 pic.twitter.com/vHdqkmwGWF
— AS Monaco Basket 🇲🇨 (@ASMonaco_Basket) May 21, 2023
Monaco did not give up
Thanks to a solid defense and the precision of Elie Okobo (10 points) and Matthew Strazel (14 points), the Principality’s players managed their advantage perfectly and returned to their locker room with a mattress of sixteen units. A Catalan reaction was expected upon returning from the locker room and Nicolas Laprovittola responded with his only five points of the match scored in 51 seconds. However, unlike the semi-final lost on Friday, the “Roca Team” did not collapse and stood up to their opponent throughout these ten minutes. While the gap has long fluctuated between ten and thirteen lengths, the Monegasques finished strong with an 8-1 to get closer to 20 lengths ahead before a last basket for the FCB signed James Nnaji (7 points).
More was needed to destabilize a “Roca Team” which was keen to clear up the affront. The start of the fourth quarter was perfect with a 10-4 in which Jaron Blossomgame (9 points) and Yoan Makoundou (4 points) participated. With a 21-point lead just over six minutes from the buzzer, ASM could see it coming. The Barcelonians pushed to the end but it was Monaco who won this small final with a twelve-point lead (78-66). A place on the podium which crowns a very successful continental season for a Monaco team which will now be able to focus on the objective of winning the title of champion of France.
