Euroleague: Precious points for Roca Team in Milan
Daniel Theis' determination paid off © Manuel Vitali - Communications Department
It was a close game right up to the end, but AS Monaco Basket came away from Lombardy on Thursday evening with their second victory in the competition.
Four days after their defeat in the Betclic Elite against Chalon-sur-Saône, the Roca Team bounced back on the other side of the Alps with a second win in three European matches. The 89-92 victory, their first away win, took a long time to come together as the Lombardy players held their own against their opponents, who were stronger in the final moments of the game.
Nikola Micotic was keen to shine against his former club and prove that the Principality club was right to bet on the 34-year-old Montenegrin. The power forward scored seven points and grabbed five rebounds. But it was thanks to point guard Mike James, the top scorer with 18 points, that the defending finalists silenced the Unipol Forum.
💨 Pump fake artist 👨🎨#RocaTeam #EveryGameMatters pic.twitter.com/71kQxJmf38
— AS Monaco Basket 🇲🇨 (@ASMonaco_Basket) October 9, 2025
A nail-biting finish
The American wasn’t the only one to dominate the game. European champion with Fenerbahçe in May against the Roca Team, German centre Daniel Theis delivered a remarkable performance, with some incredible shots, 17 shooting points (100%) and 10 rebounds.
Vassilis Spanoulis’s players got off to a good start, with a five-point lead at the end of the first quarter. But on their home court, Milan stood up to their rivals, who maintained their lead at the break thanks to effective rotation by the Greek coach.
Hard-hitting Roca Team wins first season title in SuperCup
The Italians started the second half better, scoring 10 points, but they were clumsy. Monaco then pushed hard to take an eight-point lead (56-48). The tifosi pushed back and, with two minutes to go, a three-pointer plus a foul by Élie Okobo allowed Milan to come back to within two points (77-79).
It was a nail-biting finish, but Matthew Strazel gave his team some breathing space with two free throws (79-82), as did Daniel Theis with a defensive play on the last possession. The next game is on Sunday against the French champions in Paris, in what promises to be a thrilling top-of-the-table clash.