By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Monaco was very close to reaching its first Euroleague title last year. This summer, they made some moves to reach the next level, but the season has started with a defeat. Zalgiris Kaunas pulled off the upset of the round after beating Monaco on the road 84-89.
In his first Euroleague game with his new team, Moses Wright was just unstoppable. The American center finished the game with 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 28 PÌR as the game MVP. Sylvain Francisco (9 points, 4 rebounds, and 9 assists) and Nigel Williams-Goss (14 points) were also vital for the Lithuanian victory.
The fantastic trio of Mike James (24 points and 5 assists), Daniel Theis (17 points and 6 rebounds), and Nikola Mirotic (16 points and 6 rebounds) was the only one to show up. Despite an 11-0 run (73-88 to 84-88), the time remaining was too little, and the home team started the season with a loss.
That was not the only road win of the night. Valencia returned to the EuroLeague with a bang, getting also the 80-77 road win over LDLC ASVEL in France.
It was a game decided on details, with Nando De Colo closing the gap to two points (79-77) and plenty of time for anything to happen. However, in the last minute, only Nathan Reuvers scored one free throw, giving the winners a total of 13 points.
Matt Costello also scored 13 points for Valencia. Darius Thompson, with 15, was the top scorer, but Omari Moore, with 12 points, eight rebounds, and 10 assists, was the man who stole the show, flirting with a triple-double.
De Colo, with 17 points, was the leading scorer of ASVEL.