Donatos Motiejūnas represented by AS Monaco (21/11) won a difficult victory in the Euroleague, where 87:77 (23:12, 21:28, 12:21, 31:16) broke Villerban ASVEL (7/25).
The Monaco team started the match dominatingly (21-10), but the accumulated lead quickly melted away when Nando De Colo and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot scored – 21-24. In the end, the hosts weighed the result (28:27), and after the break, they turned on an even higher gear – 55:46.
The difference between Youssoupha Fallas and Mbaye Ndiaye was already a record (61:50), so Saša Obradović was not satisfied and asked for a consultation. Immediately after him, Elie Okobo made two three-pointers (56:61) and improved the situation of “AS Monaco”.
The intrigue was at its maximum in the last quarter, when “AS Monaco” came close within a minimal distance (65:66), and M. Fallas tried to keep ASVEL ahead – 69:65. Even though it was tied (71-71) with a quarter and a half minutes left, Jaron Blossomgame, Alpha Diallo, Elie Okobo and Mike James got to work. It took only a couple of minutes for the Monaco team to completely take the initiative at the decisive time (82:71), so now ASVEL had to save itself.
D. Motiejūnas scored 4 points (2/3 doubles, 0/1 penalty) in 13 minutes, rebounded 4 balls, made one mistake, provoked a foul and collected 6 utility points.
ASVEL: Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot 23 (5/6 trg, 7 rpg, 29 nb), Joffrey Lauvergne and Edwin Jackson – 13 each, Nando De Colo 9 (9 rpg).
AS Monaco: Elie Okobo 16, Alpha Diallo 15 (6 rpg), Jaron Blossomgame 13, Mike James 12, Jordan Loyd and Donta Hall (6 rpg) 9 each.
The long break: Waterman’s value, Jack’s Republic, the Vovor effect, the battles for 3rd and 6th place and which LKL clubs will be satisfied with the season
