Could Monaco have imagined a worse start to their first Euroleague play-off quarter-final match? Struggling at home against Maccabi Tel-Aviv, the Monegasques lost 79-67 and lost the home advantage. A precious asset against any team, but even more so against Maccabi, the best team in the Euroleague at home.
Before Thursday, the date of the second opposition between the two teams, the Monegasque coach Sasa Obradovic will have to find the words and, above all, the tactical solutions, to reverse the trend so as not to find themselves trailing 2 to 0 in this series at best. of the five meetings.
His team will also have to play at a higher level to hope to equalize, before traveling for two meetings in Israel, where Maccabi have lost only twice this year. And where you will have to win at least once to hope to qualify for the Final 4, which a club in the French championship has not reached since 1997 (Asvel).
A three-point 0/18 to start
Unable to score a single three-point basket out of the first 18 attempts, and generally lacking skill throughout the game (17/30 at 2 pts, 4/26 at long distance), Monaco also sank physically in end of the game against an opponent calibrated for the Final 4 of Kaunas and who won the four quarters.
Josh Nebo (12 points, 8 rebounds) was physically impressive and stars Lorenzo Brown (15 points, 4 assists) and Wade Baldwin IV (20 points, 6 assists) played at their level. That is to say very good.
Monaco did not manage to resist the physical impact put by the Israelis: in front of 400 fans on fire, Maccabi never offered easy possession to Monaco. Led in the first quarter, he came back gradually. Thanks to three three-point baskets (against 0/10 for ASM at the break) from Colson (2) and Baldwin (16-18, 10th), the Israelis took the lead, to afford a nice 7 -0 straddling the first and second quarters (16-22, 12th).
Heavily heckled Motiejunas
Monaco has not abdicated. But the defense of Maccabi was fierce, like these faults of Nebo (14th) and Poythress (16th) on Donatas Motiejunas, to offer him no easy basket. Result: he only returned three of his four free throws (23-26, 16th).
The Lithuanian, however, remained in his game. And if Monaco did not pass before the break, it was firstly because of an unsportsmanlike foul by Alpha Diallo on Baldwin (which cost five points, 27-34, 18th) and a lack precision at long distance, as on Elie Okobo’s final shot on the last possession (33-36, 20th).
A failed pass from Motiejunas, an easy basket given to Baldwin: the start of the second half was complicated for the Roca Team, quickly trailing twelve (37-49, 25th), then thirteen points (47-60, 29th ).
At the end of a controlled third quarter, the Israelis approached the home stretch with a more than favorable +10 (50-60, 30th). After 18 long-range losses, James (15 pts) finally scored behind the line. There was then 6’45 left (55-66, 34th). It was too late. Monaco never came back.