After a difficult collapse to end Game 1 of the Betclic Elite Finals, Monaco faced off against Paris on 17 June at the Adidas Arena seeking revenge. Building an early lead and maintaining it throughout allowed the Roca Team to secure a 102-90 victory, leveling the series at 1-1 before returning to Monaco for Games 3 and 4.
It was evident that Monaco arrived with intentions to win as they opened the game with early baskets, holding Paris scoreless until nearly three minutes into the game. Despite Monaco’s early lead, a lack of defensive rebounds allowed Paris to generate frequent second-chance opportunities, reducing the lead Monaco so efficiently had built.
Paris and Monaco appeared to trade momentum throughout the first half, with the start of the second quarter seeing a quiet Monaco side for the first two minutes of the quarter, mirroring Paris’ slow start in the game’s opening. By the midway point of the second quarter, it appeared both teams had settled into a rhythm and rediscovered their shots after suffering earlier mistakes and turnovers.
Monaco extended their lead to 20 points with only a couple minutes remaining in the half thanks to their efficiency beyond the arc. The final minute of the half, however, proved costly, as Paris was able to quickly cut the deficit from 20 points to 12 heading into halftime.
Going into the second half, one thing was clear: the Roca Team could not repeat the mistakes made in Game 1 of the series. Although they came out with a strong start, restoring their 20-point advantage, Paris was persistent and capitalized on moments to reduce the gap.
With only a 12-point lead going into the final quarter, Monaco was not in the clear yet, especially having given up a 9-point lead in the final quarter just days before. Both sides came out very aggressive, clearly recognizing the importance of those final minutes. Although Monaco’s rebounding struggles seemed to resurface, allowing Paris to go on runs, the Roca Team answered every meaningful push from the home team.
Monaco managed to maintain their 12-point lead through the end of the game to secure a 102-90 victory. Alpha Diallo and Matthew Strazel each contributed 22 points, while Elie Okobo added 17 for the Roca Team.
With the series now tied at one game each, Monaco will return home to Salle Gaston Médecin looking to take control of the series and put themselves in position to win the championship on home court.
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Photo credit: AS Monaco Basket