ASVEL will wait for its 11th French Cup. Monaco took out its claws in the first quarter and won at the Accor Arena in Paris-Bercy its first trophy in the event (90-70).
The hierarchy established as well in the regular season of Betclic Elite as in the Euroleague has been respected, and a few days before their game 1 of the European Cup quarterfinals against Maccabi Tel-Aviv, the Monegasques, just taken in default in the championship by Strasbourg, have fully reassured on their current state of investment.
On the individual level, the mano a mano between the two superstars Mike James (20 points and 6 assists) and Nando De Colo (12 points with 2/7 shooting, 5 assists) gave the American, cold as a blade, as the winner, being superbly supported by his left arm Elie Okobo (20 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds), elected MVP of the final.
15-2, move along, there’s not much to see !
The Lithuanian pivot Donatas Motiejunas made appreciate his hook shot, Elie Okobo planted seven points, ASVEL missed 6 of its first 7 shots, and Monaco was leading 15-2 after five minutes!
The Monegasques were applied and collective on both sides of the court with Mike James as architect (3 assists) and Elie Okobo as architect AND finisher (10 points and 4 assists). That’s how the Roca Team found itself with a +21 (33-12) just before Charles Kahudi mitigated a little the painful note of a three-pointer at the buzzer of the first quarter (33-15).
It took a dunk attempt by Yves Pons unfortunately interrupted by a Monegasque foul to dampen a little the disappointment of the Villeurbanne fans, who saw Mike James succeed some high-flying acrobatic baskets. ASVEL made a small push but the Monegasques were well stalled in their final with 60.7% of success in shots and only one lost ball for 12 lost balls at halftime. The sentence: 49-32 after 20 minutes.
In the absence of suspense, we could enjoy some brilliant actions as the tap-dunk and later the alley oop of Donta Hall or, in another register, the implacable fundamentals of Donatas Motiejunas. Or the maturity of 20-year-old Matthew Strazel and 18-year-old Zaccharie Risacher from Villeurbanne.
The Roca Team has earned its first French Cup. And it promises to be difficult to get, in France and in Europe, at the end of the season.
Photo : FFBB
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