Monaco made history by reaching the 2023 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four after beating Maccabi Tel Aviv 97-86 in Game 5 at Salle Gaston Medecin.
The win makes Monaco the first French League team to reach the Final Four since 1997. This will also be Monaco’s first-ever trip to the Final Four after falling in Game 5 to Olympiacos Piraeus last season in their debut campaign in the EuroLeague.
The game started with Maccabi taking the lead, but Monaco turned the game around with a 15-0 run to take control of proceedings, leading 41-33. Despite Maccabi managing to regain the lead twice, Monaco held on to their lead heading into the fourth quarter, leading 72-70.
In the final quarter, it felt as though Maccabi had the momentum, leading 78-79 with 3:57 to play. However, a stunning 8-0 personal run by Monaco’s Jordan Loyd put Monaco in the perfect position to wrap up the victory.
In the closing stages, the trio of Chima Moneke, Alpha Diallo and Elie Okobo helped see Monaco over the line to make history and reach the Final Four.
Monaco’s starting guard duo of Mike James and Jordan Loyd combined for 42 points, scoring 21 apiece. Wade Baldwin paced Maccabi with 27 points.
The win means Monaco will now face Olympiacos in the semifinals, which will be held on May 19 at Zalgirio Arena in Kaunas, Lithuania. The winner of that game will face either Barcelona or Real Madrid in the final.
