Despite a twelve-point lead at half-time (41-29), squandered in a nightmarish third quarter, Monaco lost in the semi-finals of the Euroleague basketball against Olympiakos (76- 62), for his first participation in the Final Four, Friday May 19 in Kaunas (Lithuania).
French basketball will have to be content with having brought a representative back to the last four of the most prestigious European competition for the first time since Asvel (Villeurbanne) in 1997, but will have to wait to find a successor in Limoges, the last club to have was crowned in 1993.
ASM, still in the French third division nine years ago and participating in only its second Euroleague season, will try to get on the podium on Sunday (4 p.m.) against the loser of the other semi-final, played in evening between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Catastrophic third quarter
After winning in the two regular season confrontations against the Greeks, the Monegasques lost the match with double or nothing after experiencing a huge air hole in the third quarter (from 41-29 at the break to 43 -56). They only scored two points (27 conceded), after nearly six minutes and on a counterattack.
Thirteen points behind at the start of the last quarter, the Monaco team could not catch up, even if they stopped the bleeding, falling back below the ten point mark (55-64) at five minutes from time, a comeback quickly annihilated by Olympiakos (70-57 with two minutes remaining).
The Roca Team will be able to remember for the future its first almost perfect period, where it foiled, with an in place and aggressive defense, the Greeks (eight stray balls), not very skilful (4 out of 12 from two points and only 50% free throws). She had acquired her twelve-point lead after a high-level end to the second quarter.
While Olympiakos came back tied 22-22, Jordan Loyd restarted the Rock machine with an award-winning shot, then Elie Okobo finally entered his match (five points in the last two minutes), and Mike James ( 13 points at halftime) put the lid on by returning his three free throws (41-29). But, like all ASM players, the Monegasque rear triplet died after the break.
