Monaco, after their triumph in Belgrade, faced Alba Berlin at home in the fourth round of the EuroLeague, winning by 86-75 for their second win of the season.
Monaco wanted to justify their role as a big favorite right from the start, and they did so in the opening minutes, taking a 12-3 lead. However, Alba had a surge led by Matt Thomas, closing the deficit to just one possession by the end of the first period. The scoreboard showed 18-16 in favor of Monaco.
The second quarter saw a flurry of scoring from both sides, with little emphasis on defense. Coach Israel Gonzalez’s team took the lead twice (23-22). Monaco then made five out of seven three-point attempts during this period, extending their lead to double digits, 39-28. Sterling Brown and Malte Delow kept the Berlin team in the game, but after 20 minutes of play, Monaco still led 47-40.
During the halftime break, coach Sasa Obradovic, with a touch of anger, complained that his players needed to get serious and that the game wouldn’t win itself. They, in a way, listened to him and in the third quarter, they not only maintained their lead but extended it to an 11-point advantage (67-56), even though at one point, they had a 16-point lead.
Just when it seemed that Alba might threaten at the start of the final quarter, Petr Cornelie hit his third three-pointer in as many attempts to make it 73-59. The German team managed to reduce the deficit to a single-digit margin again, but then Mike James took the stage. He made shots, provided assists, and recorded steals. After he stole the ball and passed it to Alpha Diallo, who dunked for 86-71, all doubts were dispelled, if there were any.
Interestingly, all Monaco players got on the scoresheet. The standout for the team from the Principality was Mike James with 17 points, seven assists, four rebounds, and two steals. For Alba, Matt Thomas was the leading scorer with 17 points, while Sterling Brown finished the game with 15.
In the next round of the elite European competition, Monaco will host Maccabi Tel Aviv, while Alba will face Milan in Berlin.