AS Monaco Basket’s bid to secure a place in the Final Four of the EuroLeague is over, following a sorry one-point defeat at the hands of Fenerbahçe Beko.
As the game began, the Roca Team appeared recharged and in high spirits. This was the fifth game of the series against Fenerbahçe and, following AS Monaco Basket’s win in Game 4 on Friday 3rd May, the home side seemed buoyed by the support of their local fans.
See more: Basketball: Vital win against Fenerbahçe keeps AS Monaco in the game
Prince Albert II of Monaco joined the thousands of other people who crammed into the Salle Gaston Médecin on Wednesday 8th May, but even the cheers of the sovereign couldn’t help the crestfallen home team, who lost out on a place in the Final Four by just one solitary point.
The game was closely contested throughout, with the scores being separated by only one or two points for much of the game. Everyone was on the edge of their seat.
Game highlights included the return of John Brown III for AS Monaco, who recovered from his shoulder injury in time for this crucial battle and was on excellent form, showcasing his impeccable defence skills against a very determined team.
Elie Okobo scored 15 points, and Mike James, who scored 20 points, secured several three-pointers. As soon as Fenerbahçe was up by a point, the Roca Team countered, bringing the score to parity or even surpassing it.
The efforts of the home side made the final result – the scoreboard read 79-80 as the whistle blew – even more difficult to accept.
“It was a truly epic series that was played out on details. In the end, we die one shot away from the Final Four,” said Sasa Obradovic, the Roca Team’s coach.
“We had a lot of chances, but we couldn’t capitalise on them. It’s a loss that hurts,” added full-back Jordan Loyd.
This is the second consecutive year that AS Monaco have failed to make it into the EuroLeague’s Final Four.
Despite the disappointment, however, the Roca Team and their fans can take pride in their hard-fought journey and memorable campaign during this challenging EuroLeague season.
The team will now have just a few days to regroup and refocus; there is a game against Blois in the Betclic Elite coming up on Saturday 11th May.
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Photo credit: AS Monaco Basket