French basketball will have to settle for having brought a representative in the last four of the C1 for the first time since Asvel in 1997, but will have to wait to find a successor to Limoges, the last club to have reached the final and to have been crowned European champion, in 1993.
ASM, still in the French third division nine years ago and participating in its second Euroleague season only, will try to climb the podium Sunday (16:00 French) against the loser of the other semifinal, played in the evening between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid.
After winning their two regular-season encounters against the Greeks, they lost the one to leave or double after experiencing a huge air hole in the third quarter (from 41-29 at the break to 43-56).
She scored only two points (27 conceded), after nearly six minutes and on a counterattack.
Facing Greeks who came back energized like their many noisy supporters, more aggressive and who found their game inside (Fall, Vezenkov) and their outside skill (three award-winning shots).
Behind by 13 units at the beginning of the last quarter, it could not close the gap even if it stopped the bleeding, going back under the ten point mark (55-64) with five minutes to go, a return quickly annihilated by Olympiacos (70-57 with two minutes to go).
The Roca Team will be able to retain for the future its first almost perfect period, where it thwarted by a defense in place and aggressive the Greeks (eight lost balls) not very clumsy (4/12 two-pointers and only 50% at free throws).
They had acquired their 12-point lead after a high-level end to the second quarter.
While Olympiacos was back tied 22-22, Jordan Loyd revived the machine of the Rock with an award-winning shot, then Elie Okobo finally got back into his game (5 pts in the last two minutes) and Mike James (13 pts at halftime) put the lid by returning his three free throws (41-29).
But, like all ASM, the Monegasque back triplet died out after the break.
© 2023 AFP