The Roca Team had assured that it wanted to finish its first Final Four on a good note and play thoroughly this always delicate meeting between the two clubs eliminated in the semifinals.

In 1997, Asvel, the previous representative of the France championship in the last four of the C1, lost for bronze to Olimpija Ljubljana.

In a Zalgirio Arena in the third empty in the first half before the atmosphere warmed up at the arrival of Olympiacos fans (opposed in the final to Real Madrid), ASM kept its word against demobilized Catalans.

Led by eleven points after the first quarter, in which they lost seven balls, Barcelona woke up slightly after half-time (44-28 for Monaco), returning in the middle of the third quarter to ten units of Monaco (52-42).

The club of the Rock then pressed the accelerator again to seal its victory with five minutes to go (72-53).

He approaches on a victory the beginning of the play-offs of the Elite (game 1 of the quarter-finals against Strasbourg on Wednesday), where this time he will not have the right to make mistakes after dominating the regular season and losing three of the last four finals (2018, 2019, 2022).

Strazel, game and points

In view of the reunion with SIG, who had almost eliminated Monaco last year at the same stadium, and the possible subsequent rounds, coach Sasa Obradovic gave playing time to two Frenchmen: the interior Yoann Makoundou (four points in eight minutes) and especially the third leader Matthew Strazel.

Barcelona's Thomas Satoransky hands the ball against Monaco point guard Mike James during the Euroleague third-place match at the Zalgirio Arena in Kaunas, Lithuania Sunday, May 21, 2023 © Petras Malukas /

The 20-year-old former Villeurbannais entered at the end of the first quarter in place of star Mike James (who did not push back the floor thereafter) to finish top scorer of the Roca Team (14 pts at 5/5 two-pointers).

Other key players in ASM's success were pivot Donta Hall (9 pts and 11 rebounds) and winger Alpha Diallo (10 pts, 6 rebounds and 2 assists).

Winner in 2021 of the Eurocup, antechamber of the Euroleague, quarter-finalist of the C1 last year and therefore on the podium 2023 for its second participation in the competition, AS Monaco will try to climb one more step next year.

But returning to the Final Four in 2024 will be "twice as hard," Obradovic warned.

© 2023 AFP