92-101: Valencia Basket loses again to leaders AS Monaco

Valencia Basketball ended its unbeaten run this season with a 92-101 loss to AS Monaco at the Roig Arena with spectators in attendance. Monaco won the head-to-head match over Taronja with the same score (14 wins, 7 losses) and moved ahead of them in the standings. Despite a strong start and 18 points from Cameron Taylor, Spanoulis was exceptional in a limited rotation, with five players scoring over 12 points, led by Diallo, and 17 points.

The locals knew how to minimize in the first minutes the entire team, which was the leader in almost all statistics in the Euroleague. The defense and success in front of the basket made it 12-6 in the first quarter. Monaco, whose injury to Daniel Theis was announced at the last minute, realized that Nikola Mirotic was the man who sparked the game. The Montenegrin hit two triples and put another goal under the net, adding to his eight straight points and leveling the score at 14. Mike James’s diligence kept the visiting team in the game and held the lead for short stretches despite being one gear slower. But Valencia’s defense started to look chaotic, with Braxton Key, Gian Montero and Blancu Badiou finding baskets in transition, making it 28-26 at the end of the first quarter.

Spanoulis’ team responded after the break and took to the court in a better mental state. Their initiative, along with the local turnovers and the flair of James and Blossom’s game, gave the Monaco wingers a solid lead on the scoreboard. Trailing by five points, Talonja came close again, but after two dunks by Alpha Diallo and Kevarius Hayes, a 2-for-10 run opened up the first double-digit advantage (40-53). Kevarius Hayes was following a timeout called by Pedro Martinez.

technical sheet

Valencia Basket-AS Monaco, 92-101

92.- Valencia Basket (28+14+28+22): Moore (3), Thompson (17), Taylor (18), Pradilla (7), Sako (2) – 5 starters – Noguez (-), Montero (15), Badiou (8), Puerto (2), Key (6), Costello (2), Reuvers (12).

101.- AS Monaco (26+27+23+25): James (14), Diallo (17), Hayes (15), Mirotic (13), Okobo (9) -Starting 5-, Tarpey (2), Begarin (-), Nedovic (16), Strazell (1), Blossomgame (14).

Referees: Lottermoser (GER), Peerandi (EE), Attard (ITA). There are no exclusions.

Incident: Match on the 21st day of the EuroLeague regular phase, played in front of 12,614 spectators at the Roig Arena.

That momentum continued even when visitors resumed. On the first possession, Alpha Diallo hit a triple to establish the largest lead of the game (42-56). Talonja barely held on with Diallo scoring penalties from the perimeter and Spanoulis betting on an interior-less quintet that worked to the local rhythm. Valencia had some hope as they trailed 2-9 late in the third period, and Kameron Taylor’s six straight points (70-76) cut the gap to seven points.

However, Monaco continued to attack very effectively from the perimeter. Nemanja Nedovic was at the center of the match this season. After the first triple, then another, the Serb added a basket and three more points to go on a 2-11 run virtually all by himself. Despite losing by 15 points, Pedro Martinez’s team continued to play and tried to lower the 10-point barrier. An acrobatic layup and Montero triple left the score at 90-98 with a minute and a half left. From there, Monaco’s mission was to let time pass. In the end, Valencia forced options against an opponent who had the upper hand for most of the match, but could not turn the situation around.