By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
AS Monaco took a massive step toward securing their postseason destiny on Tuesday night, fending off a desperate EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, 90-85, at a packed Salle Gaston Medecin.
The victory in Round 33 of the 2025-26 EuroLeague Regular Season moves La Roca Team to a 19-14 record, effectively untangling them from the congested middle of the standings and solidifying their grip on a direct playoff berth. Monaco bounced back from double-digit deficits twice, with the tenth lead change occurring after an 11-0 run late in the fourth quarter.
“It was a final for us. Very important game. Milano is also playing for the Playoffs. And we wanted to protect home court,” noted Elie Okobo in a postgame interview. The 28-year-old guard paved the way with a 16-point, 13-assist double-double, while Alpha Diallo chipped in a team-high 17 points. Daniel Theis had 15 points, Matthew Strazel added 14, and Kevarrius Hayes reached double figures with 10 points on a perfect 5/5 shooting.
Milan built an early double-digit lead in the first quarter, threatening to run away with the game, but Monaco leveraged their home-court grit to claw back and outlast a Little Red Shoes side that arrived in the Principality with a 16-16 record. The Roca Team showed immense character to secure this win despite a severely shortened rotation of only nine available professional players. While Nikola Mirotic resumed practice on Monday, both he and Mike James remained sidelined for the contest, but the 35-year-old forward is currently considered questionable for Friday’s clash against Panathinaikos Aktor.
Shavon Shields had 18 points for Milan, with Zach LeDay at 16 points. Notably, 31-year-old LeDay reached a major milestone by grabbing his 1,000th career rebound in the first quarter, besides extending his double-digit streaks in points and Performance Index Rating to nine straight games. Peppe Poeta’s side required a victory of at least four points to claim the head-to-head tiebreaker, but instead, they remain outside the Play-In Showdown zone. The Italian side was notably shorthanded as both Bryant Dunston and Diego Flaccadori were ruled out for the trip, joined by the sidelined Lorenzo Brown, while Ousmane Diop was a healthy scratch.
Looking ahead to the conclusion of this double-game week, both teams face important matchups. The team coached by Manuchar Markoishvili will travel to the Telekom Center Athens to face Panathinaikos, hoping to maintain their momentum. Meanwhile, Olimpia Milano returns home to the Unipol Forum on Thursday for a crucial domestic derby against fellow Italian side Virtus Bologna, where they must win to keep their postseason hopes alive.