AS Monaco delivered another commanding performance, defeating FC Barcelona 92-79 in Game 2 of their best-of-five EuroLeague playoff series. With the victory, Monaco now holds a 2-0 series lead and is just one win away from securing a spot in the 2025 EuroLeague Final Four.
Monaco seized control early in the game, led by Alpha Diallo, who scored 15 of the team’s first 17 points. By the end of the first quarter, Monaco had a 26-19 lead. Mam Jaiteh was instrumental throughout, tying his career-high with 20 points, going 9-for-9 from the field in just 16 minutes of play. Diallo finished with 21 points, while Jordan Loyd added 13 and Matthew Strazel contributed 12 points.
Barcelona started with strong energy. Tomas Satoransky and Jabari Parker each contributed five early points, including a three-pointer from each. However, Diallo quickly responded for Monaco, scoring all of the team’s points during a stretch to give the hosts a 12-10 lead. Monaco’s defense continued to stymie Barcelona’s efforts as they held a solid 49-40 advantage at halftime.
In the third quarter, Monaco extended their lead as Jaiteh and Loyd stepped up. Jaiteh’s back-to-back fast-break dunks were particularly impactful, increasing Monaco’s margin to 74-57. Barcelona fought back, with Parker and Kevin Punter trying to keep their team in the game, but Monaco’s offensive firepower proved too much.
By the fourth quarter, Barcelona found themselves down by 19 points, and despite a brief 7-0 run sparked by Punter, they were unable to close the gap. A driving dunk from Monaco’s Terry Tarpey sealed the victory for the hosts, who had a commanding 86-67 lead midway through the period. Despite Dario Brizuela’s efforts, Monaco remained in control, securing the 92-79 win.
Jaiteh’s perfect shooting performance and Diallo’s consistent scoring were key to Monaco’s success. The team shot an impressive 71.8% from two-point range and dominated the rebounding battle. Barcelona’s Jabari Parker led his team with 16 points, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Monaco’s balanced attack.
With the 2-0 series lead, Monaco now heads to Barcelona for Game 3, needing just one more victory to advance to the EuroLeague Final Four.
