After a difficult start to Game 4 in Nanterre on Monday 8th June, Monaco’s 89-78 victory over Nanterre secured their place in the Betclic Elite finals. With the victory, Monaco closed out the best-of-five semifinal series 3-1.
Game 4 began with Nanterre coming out strong, immediately going on an 11-3 run to outplay Monaco. This energy continued throughout the quarter as Monaco’s rhythm missed the mark and they were outrebounded, with Nanterre recording 17 rebounds compared to Monaco’s 10. As only three of those 10 rebounds were offensive, Nanterre received many opportunities for second-chance points. After the first quarter, Monaco trailed Nanterre 24-17. However, an Elie Okobo buzzer-beater to close the opening quarter appeared to spark momentum for the Roca Team.
Fortunately for Monaco, an 11-3 run in the opening minutes of the second quarter, this time favoring the Roca Team, helped Monaco claim the lead. Improved rebounding and far more efficient shooting helped Monaco establish control, allowing the Roca Team to extend their lead heading into halftime up 12 points.
The third quarter saw Nanterre challenge Monaco further, capitalizing on mistakes that began resurfacing as they chipped away at the lead, reducing things to a one-possession game 7 minutes into the second half. However, a timeout for Monaco allowed the team to regroup and respond quickly to halt Nanterre’s momentum.
Although Nanterre came out with an aggressive style of play in the final quarter, it was not enough as Monaco had taken control of the game. Nanterre left everything on the court, knowing their season would come to an end without a comeback, but it was not enough to overcome the Roca Team. Monaco remained victorious over Nanterre 89-78.
Elie Okobo and Matthew Strazel made up over half of the team’s points with 24 and 21 points respectively, while Alpha Diallo led Monaco on the glass with 8 rebounds. Looking ahead, the team will now face the winner of the Paris-Cholet semifinal in the Betclic Elite finals.
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Photo credit: AS Monaco Basket