Roca Team topples Olympiakos once again
The Roca Team relishes their victory © AS Monaco Basket
On Wednesday evening, the Roca Team pulled off a remarkable feat on Greek soil in a replay of last spring’s Final Four semi-final. A win in Piraeus now opens the doors to the EuroLeague top six.
When the challenge increases, the Roca Team often rises to the occasion. That was the case once again in Piraeus, where Vassilis Spanoulis’ men tamed one of the tournament favourites (87–92). After a quiet first half, Mike James, named MVP, and his teammates picked up the pace to claim a decisive victory.
Alpha Diallo takes control
The match held particular significance for Vassilis Spanoulis, returning for the second time as AS Monaco’s coach in his homeland. He fielded a starting five of Mike James, Matthew Strazel, Alpha Diallo, Jaron Blossomgame and Daniel Theis. AS Monaco got off to a strong start, holding off the Greeks without a basket for the first three minutes, but the home side responded with an 8–0 run.
Shaken by their opponents’ intensity, the Monegasque players recovered before the break, trailing by just one point at half-time (38–37). The two teams traded blows, with Olympiakos relying heavily on Serbian centre Nikola Milutinov (14 points and 8 rebounds). But the away team showcased their collective strength, doubling their three-point accuracy.
The Piraeus players struggled against the rising duo of James and Diallo. The American point guard notched his first double-double of the season (23 points and 10 assists), while his compatriot finished with a brilliant 27 points, a career-high for the small forward in the EuroLeague. Despite Olympiakos threatening a comeback with one minute remaining (84–86), the Roca Team held firm and sealed the win in a raucous atmosphere. It was the fourth victory in the competition for Élie Okobo’s team, who continue their campaign tonight (Friday 31 October) at 7 pm with a home game against Panathinaikos.