Prince Albert II, the Roca Team’s number 1 fan, was once again on hand last night to cheer the team on along with AS Monaco Basket President Alekszej Fedoricsev, and witness a match that will go down in the annals of Monegasque basketball.
What an evening! The atmosphere was electric as the Roca Team wrote one of the most unblievable pages in its history by toppling ASVEL (91-86) in the decisive Game 4. Trailing by 15 points with four minutes to go, Vassilis Spanoulis’s men pulled off the unthinkable: a devastating 20-0 run that sunk the visitors and took AS Monaco Basket into the Betclic Elite final for the fourth year running.
The Okobo-Strazel duo in legend mode
The comeback heroes: Elie Okobo and Matthew Strazel. Former Villeurbanne player Okobo, was a veritable ‘Okoboss’ on the night, earning MVP with 26 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists for a stratospheric rating of 32. Alongside him, Matthew Strazel orchestrated the money time revolt with 18 points and 10 assists, equalising with a masterful ‘and one’ before watching his accomplice seal the victory with a three-pointer on the buzzer.
ASVEL crumbled under pressure
Everything had seemed to be going Villeurbanne’s way. Buoyed by an on-fire Ajinca and a rediscovered skill for three-point shots, they led for a long time, and extended that lead to 13 points in the final quarter. But they hadn’t figured on the pride and legendary character of the Monegasque team, who never give up.
“We play our best basketball when our backs are against the wall,” said Terry Tarpey after the game, perfectly summing up the mindset of a Roca Team that is definitely getting used to big achievements.
On to Paris for a remake of 2024
The victory paves the way for a rerun of the 2024 final against Paris Basketball. The Red and Whites, who are aiming for a third consecutive title, are headed for the Adidas Arena on Sunday, without home advantage this time. But that shouldn’t put off a team that can make the impossible happen.