After a tight start to the game, Anadolu Efes seized control in the second quarter, gradually dominating the match and establishing multiple double-digit leads. Sehmus Hazer, who delivered a career-high 26 points, scored a crucial basket that pushed the score to 83-73 with six and a half minutes remaining, making a home victory for the Turkish side seem all but certain.
However, Monaco displayed incredible resilience. First, Alpha Diallo ignited a comeback with 7 points in just 79 seconds, rekindling hope in what seemed like a fading contest. Then, after Juhann Begarin hit a three-pointer to make it 85-81, Jaron Blossomgame took command and exploded. He scored 6 consecutive points in 34 seconds—a three-pointer followed by a basket and a foul—giving Monaco their first lead since the middle of the second quarter. He then added two more baskets, accumulating a total of 10 points in less than two minutes.
Blossomgame’s remarkable run gave Monaco a crucial 3-point lead (88-91) with less than a minute on the clock. Alpha Diallo then delivered the emphatic exclamation point, driving forcefully for a thunderous dunk that extended the lead to 5 points with just 18 seconds left, crushing Efes’s final hopes. This victory marked coach Manuchar Markoishvili’s second win in as many games in his new role.
Speaking to EuroLeague TV after the game, Jaron Blossomgame emphasized the team’s cohesion, which he believes was the key to their victory:
“We are a very close-knit group,” he stated. “I believe we have something truly special here. Many of my teammates tell us that our team is unique because they’ve played on numerous teams across Europe, and very few have this level of camaraderie off the court. We genuinely like each other, and that shows on the court. In a win like tonight’s, it was evident that we trusted each other. We were trailing for most of the game, but we never gave up, and I’m proud that we ultimately secured the victory.”
