AS Monaco Stun Olympiacos to Make Euroleague Final

Fourth time was supposed to be the charm for Olympiacos, right? The Reds were like a deer in the headlights as Vassilis Spanoulis and AS Monaco first outsmarted them and then outplayed them at the Euroleague Final Four. The Roca Team rock on to the final.

Mike James had said on Thursday night that AS Monaco were somewhat overlooked coming into this edition of the Euroleague Final Four. Nobody’s overlooking the Roca team now as Vassilis Spanoulis masterminded a brilliant takedown of Olympiacos to secure a clash with Fenerbahce on Sunday.

Feeling it out

Whereas the Euroleague Final Four opener began as a bruiser, this clash was much more tame in the early stages. Neither Olympiacos nor AS Monaco looked too keen to hit the gas hard in the opening frame.

There’s history of course. Two years ago, these sides had a wild back and forth battle. That seemed to linger in the memory despite the roster differences. The interior D on both ends was stout but, save for a Daniel Theis drive being blocked by Nikola Militunov, it wasn’t like either was pushing it hard in the paint.

The most notable aspect of what was a phony war was the use of depth. Olympiacos used 10 players in the first quarter compared to 8 for AS Monaco. The latter was to be expected, the former was the Reds showing their intent to pace everyone that they use.

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Welcome to the party pal

The second quarter wasn’t exactly much louder than the first. That was until Daniel Theis finished off a big alley-oop to push AS Monaco into a 5 point lead just after the mid point. The rather gentlemanly pace certainly suited the Roca team more.

Olympiacos had showed their depth, indeed making it 11 deep before the game was 14 minutes old. What they had yet to show was how that ability to rotate more could allow them to push a harder tempo. They were keeping things reasonably sedate. That isn’t really what you’re meant to bring to the Euroleague Final Four.

The back end of the frame, the Reds finally started to stretch a bit. Still it wasn’t like they were going full kilter. This was a side happy to be in a 20 minute fight. The thing was, it’s hard to think AS Monaco wouldn’t have been just as happy with that.

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This is Monaco basketball

Vassilis Spanoulis is no fool. It maybe his maiden season as a head coach in the Euroleague but he knows what it takes to win. His legend was made at Euroleague Final Fours with Olympiacos. He had a plan to undo them here.

That slower pace kept AS Monaco fresh. They entered the third quarter looking relaxed and ready to push the tempo. The Roca team knew they couldn’t win a direct fight on the terms of Olympiacos. The Reds were always going to lean on their depth to try and wear down Monaco.

As it was, despite the close nature of the scoreline, the game was suiting AS Monaco. Mike James was getting his points to keep things ticking over. The lead was theirs. Most importantly, all the pressure was on Olympiacos.

Jaron’s Blossoming Game

There was a small section of AS Monaco fans seated to the left of the press seats. Some were wearing chicken hats, so they were plenty of fun. They just weren’t plenty in number. It’s not exactly a shock that a principality would bring the smallest support but the few hundred they have were given cause to believe.

Jaron Blossomgame had a mini-personal run as the Roca team looked to take command of this Euroleague Final Four clash. Well, calling it a clash feels kind. Olympiacos simply hadn’t woken up and looked like they didn’t know how to. The game was only 7 points in the middle of the third but it felt like 14, such was the tepid nature of the Piraeus club’s performance.

An Elie Okobo three stretched the lead to double digits for the first time. The overwhelming sea of red for Olympiacos in the stands were silent. Vassilis Spanoulis strode confidently along the sideline. Everything was going to plan. Georgios Bartzokas needed to find some way to unnerve his pupil.

This is why they signed Evan Fournier

Evan Fournier is best known globally for his ‘FIBA Fournier’ mode, where he does legendary things for France. Well he was in top form for Olympiacos late in the third as he single-handedly drove the comeback.

The gap was cut to 4 points late in the frame, before a couple of free throws from Mam Jaiteh made it a 6 point gap entering the final frame. The nerves the Reds had carried into this Euroleague Final Four appeared to finally be fading.

The final 10 minutes would, undoubtedly, prove the most important in the short history of AS Monaco at this level. Their second time at the last weekend of the campaign. Once again they had managed to build a big lead against Oly. Could they stave off the comeback this time?

Olympiacos fans brought the noise in Abu Dhabi but were left stunned as their team fell short against AS Monaco in the Euroleague semi-final.

Holding their nerve

Mam Jaiteh may have been the calmest man in Abu Dhabi. Having finished the third quarter at the line, he opened the fourth with an and-1 then a nice inside finish to stretch the lead again. Olympiacos were proving terribly predictable offensively. Everything was falling the way the Roca team wanted.

Their dream return to the Euroleague Final Four was going exactly to the script that Vassilis Spanoulis had written. It spoke volumes that the AS Monaco fans were the most audible during a coach’s challenge. That’s not normal. That is never normal.

At the mid-point of the final quarter, the only thing keeping Olympiacos relevant was Fournier. AS Monaco were in control. The Reds of Piraeus had 5 minutes to save their season.

Vassilis Spanoulis masterminded AS Monaco’s victory over Olympiacos to reach the Euroleague Final in his debut Euroleague coaching season.

Yeah, about that

Mike James is the star of AS Monaco. Leave no doubt about that. Mike James is also a guy who thrives under pressure. Even the Natural had to tip his cap to Mam Jaiteh here. The big man just kept on going to work and delivering. Olympiacos were absolutely shellshocked and had seemingly run out of answers.

Alpha Diallo and James were both comfortably outscoring him but Jaiteh was the one who was ending the debate. Just like he had with Georgious Papagiannis in Game 5 of the playoffs, Spanoulis had found a way to utilise a weapon in the perfect ciorcumstance. This was a masterclass in quiet confidence from Kill Bill.

Fournier continued to fire. He brought it back to single digits with 3 minutes to play. This was it Diallo’s turn to crush the hopes of an Oly comeback. Job done. AS Monaco had made their maiden title game in the maiden season of their head coach.

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