Another historic performance for AS Monaco Basket, newly-crowned French champions
Communications Department / Stephane Danna
The Roca Team clinched the first French championship in their history by beating the Metropolitans of Boulogne-Levallois (92-85) on Thursday evening at Roland-Garros.
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AS Monaco Basket’s meteoric rise to prominence has reached a new turning point as the team ends the season on a high.
By clinching the French league title for the first time in their history after failing to reach the final four times (1950, 2018, 2019, 2022), Monaco have brought the 2022-2023 season to a fitting end.
🎉🇲🇨🗣️ 𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗖𝗢, 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂 ! 🏆🇫🇷#BetclicELITE pic.twitter.com/1KFrcls7AQ
— AS Monaco Basket 🇲🇨 (@ASMonaco_Basket) June 15, 2023
With a third-place finish in the Euroleague, a French Cup and a French league title to their name, the Roca Team have reached a new milestone since 2015 and their return to the elite.
After three consecutive Leaders Cups (2016, 2017, 2018), a Eurocup victory (2021) and two new titles this season, AS Monaco Basket is adding to its trophy cabinet, while establishing itself as the number one club in France.
Ce titre est pour vous la Roca Family ❤️🤍
©️Direction de la Communication / Stephane Danna pic.twitter.com/8uSpiiUfWL
— AS Monaco Basket 🇲🇨 (@ASMonaco_Basket) June 16, 2023
In a symbolic moment, Yakuba Ouattara, captain of the Roca Team and one of the longest-serving members of the club, lifted the trophy alongside the staff and players, as well as Aleksej Fedoricsev and Oleksiy Yefimov. It was a family photo that the Roca Boys will not soon forget, and neither will the many Monegasque fans who turned out in force to support them.
The match : 85-92
In front of almost 15,000 people at Roland-Garros, which was transformed into a basketball arena for the event, Sasa Obradovic’s men were overwhelmed at the start of the match, trailing by a large margin at the end of the first quarter (32-16).
But it wasn’t until the final quarter that Jordan Loyd’s team-mates (see below) turned the game on its head and cruised to the title.
Alongside Jaron Blossomgame (22 points, 4 rebounds), the American full-back came up with some decisive shots at the end of the game to help his team make the difference.
That was enough to win the series in just three games, despite a solid performance from French phenomenon Victor Wembanyama (22 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists), who is now preparing to fly to the NBA.
The player: Jordan Loyd, so “clutch”
“ Jordan was incredible at the end of the game, he had the ‘cojones’ to take those shots. I knew he wasn’t going to let me down.” Those were the words of Sasa Obradovic, who was quick to praise the dazzling performance of his American fullback.
Already decisive in Game 5 of the Euroleague play-offs, Jordan Loyd once again proved that he is the man for big games. And for stifling finishes.
With two big three-point shots to put Boulogne-Levallois out of reach in the final minute of the game, the Chicago native pulled his weight.
“I get paid to do that,” he smiled at the end of the match. “To get the job done on the pitch, even when I’m 0 for 15 on shots, I try to go 1 for 16. You always have to stay confident. Our team has often come back from situations like this. It’s great to win this first title for the club, and I’m delighted for everyone.”
Post-match emotions: “Being champions is a crazy feeling!
Sasa Obradovic: “Being champions is a crazy feeling! We’ve had a great season, from the Final Four and third place to the French Cup and finally the title. It’s the best season of my life, and I’d like to thank everyone who contributed to it. We’ve had a great group of players.”
Oleksiy Yefimov: “We’ve been working towards this dream for nine years in a row! It’s symbolic that the Roca Team has been crowned twice this season in the Parisian capital. The French Cup at Bercy and the French Championship at Roland-Garros… Daghe Munegu.”
The number: 0
That’s how many times AS Monaco Basket have lost in these play-offs. The Monegasques have won eight games without losing a single one. That’s a first.
The series: 3-0
Match 1 : AS Monaco Basket/Metropolitans 92 (87-64)
Match 2 : AS Monaco Basket/Metropolitans 92 (95-88)
Match 3 : Metropolitans 92/AS Monaco Basket (85-92)