Monaco faced significant player absences as Daniel Theis, Elie Okobo, Terry Tarpey, Nemanja Nedovic, Nikola Mirotic, and Juhann Begarin were unavailable for various reasons. Adding to the challenges, Mike James was limited to just 11 minutes and 23 seconds of play after being ejected for two consecutive technical fouls.
Despite the depleted squad, Monaco held the lead for much of the game. Alpha Diallo delivered a standout performance with 26 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists. Most surprisingly, Yssam Moungalla played a pivotal role, logging an impressive 39 minutes. The other two prospects, Mantas Laurencikas (29 minutes) and Maxim Klitschko (18 minutes), also saw significant playing time and made substantial contributions.
Under these circumstances, ASVEL’s inability to dominate the match was evident. They ultimately secured the victory in the closing moments, largely thanks to Shaquille Harrison’s 23 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists.
Monaco is potentially facing a demanding schedule of four games in seven days. Following their encounter with ASVEL, they are set to compete against Panathinaikos in Athens for the EuroLeague play-in. A loss in this game would give them a second chance to qualify for the playoffs at Gaston-Médecin, facing either Barcelona or Crvena Zvezda Belgrade on Friday. This is less than 24 hours before the French Cup final against Le Mans in Paris-Bercy, marking an unprecedentedly compact and challenging period for the team.
