By Stefan Acevski/ info@eurohoops.net
Monaco secured a victory in the Play-In Final by defeating Barcelona on their home court with a score of 79-70.
In the last Play-In game, in a matchup between teams that previously lost to Panathinaikos and defeated Crvena Zvezda, Monaco emerged triumphant and advanced further.
Daniel Theis led the home team to victory with 16 points, Elie Okobo scored 14, while Mike James recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 assists. Jaron Blossomgame also contributed with 11 points and 10 rebounds. On the other side, Will Clyburn had 16, Tornike Shengelia scored 14 points, Jan Vesely had 12, and Dario Brizuela added 10.
We witnessed complete dominance by the home team in Monaco, which, with two ties, maintained the lead for all 40 minutes. The lead grew to a maximum of +18 (53-35) at the beginning of the third quarter, but Barcelona managed to introduce some suspense into the match.
Led by their veterans, Xavi Pascual’s players reduced the deficit to five and had a shot to come within one possession. However, they weren’t accurate, and in the end, Monaco managed to close out the game and celebrate.
Manuchar Markoishvili’s team will face Olympiakos in the quarter-finals, with the first two games scheduled for next week in Athens.