EuroLeague – AS Monaco was abused by ASVEL throughout the match and eventually got the upper hand over its Rhône rival in the money time (80-70). The Roca team achieved its seventh win in a row against the club from Villeurbanne.
What is a competition? Already on the talent of a player. Mike James, in this case author of a discreet performance (15 points on 6/15) but able to plant the shot three minutes from the final buzzer (68-68), stopped completely in front of Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot at seven meters distance . At bowls, with these shots from Nando De Colo and then Joffrey Lauvergne standing out. By Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot’s wandering hand on the red-hot wrist of Alpha Diallo, causing a devastating 3+1 99 seconds from the final buzzer (74-68)? And then many other things, including the most basic fundamentals, such as these multiple lost balls from ASVEL (17), with intentions as commendable as they are legible, returning a scoop of possessions to the Monegasques as they try to lay the ball. inside.
Pozzecco demands respect
Gianmarco Pozzecco will certainly want to add refereeing decisions to this list. The Italian technician, who received his first technical foul with ASVEL, came off his hinges several times, in particular when he saw Jaron Blossomgame score a crucial basket (66-64, 35th minute) after a very controversial action by Donta Hall, who jumped and fell. with the ball in his hands, without a free run being whistled at him. “Some on the floor disrespected us”furious Poz’ at a press conference. “We deserve the same chance as everyone else to win. Since my freshman year of basketball, I’ve never seen anything like it! I want respect for my players! We only have one victory, but we need respect! It is up to the players to decide where the match goes, and no one else. »
Before these last three catastrophic minutes, interrupted by a 2-12 (from 68-68 to 70-80), ASVEL had produced a convincing example, apart from the 17 balls lost. “We were in the match, we showed good things, it’s positive for the as a sequel to “wanted to believe Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot, brilliant not far from his origins (18 points on 8/13, 3 rebounds and 4 assists), interviewed by SQUARE. “We wanted to achieve the same finish as in Kaunas, but Monaco was more intense defensively and we had difficulty scoring. » That is to say, both a clear margin for improvement and certainties for the future, if we take into account the beautiful sequences delivered by the Villeurbannais, such as this end of the third quarter, from -7 to +6 (from 53-46 to 57 – 63). “We are on track”supports Gianmarco Pozzecco. “We have to keep making progress, but I am very proud of my players, we played a good game. »
Alpha Diallo crucifies ASVEL
However, this was not enough to break Monegasque hegemony in French basketball’s new rivalry. Since Paris Lee, now from Villeurbanne, saw his layup put on the board by William Howard on June 25, 2022, the Roca team has won its last seven matches against ASVEL (three in EuroLeague, three in Betclic ELITE and the Coupe de France final). “It’s good to win while playing poorly”Jordan Loyd commented at the microphone of SQUARE. “We were able to do it with energy and resilience. » And an Alpha Diallo who knew how to overachieve, holding terribly (12 units in the last quarter) while exploding his career three-point record (6/9). “We don’t expect a 6/9 every night, but if we put it on the field, good things will happen”said Sasa Obradovic about his Guinean winger, author of 21 points, 9 rebounds, 3 interceptions and 2 assists. “We give him freedom. He has a lot of qualities and tonight he was the deciding factor in our favor with his long-range ability and his defense. » As if there was always something that gave Monaco victory against ASVEL these days…