AS Monaco secured a thrilling 85-84 victory over FC Barcelona on Tuesday night at Salle Gaston Medecin, earning a spot in the 2025 EuroLeague Final Four. This victory concluded a gripping Game 5 series, where the hosts narrowly triumphed to book their return to the Final Four after just missing out the previous season.
Barcelona started strong, jumping to an early 15-19 lead in the first quarter. However, Monaco responded quickly, with Mike James leading the charge. The hosts surged ahead, carrying a 65-62 advantage into the final period.
The closing quarter was a back-and-forth battle. Despite a strong performance from Barcelona’s Kevin Punter, who finished with 19 points, Monaco held on to win. James led all scorers with 20 points, while Georgios Papagiannis contributed 17, including 10 crucial points in the final frame. Alpha Diallo and Matthew Strazel added 11 points each to seal the victory.
Barcelona fought hard, with Justin Anderson and Willy Hernangomez each scoring 16 points. Youssoupha Fall registered a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to prevent Monaco from clinching the series.
The game’s opening moments saw Tomas Satoransky and Anderson help Barcelona to an early advantage, but Monaco quickly countered with an 8-0 run. The teams traded blows throughout the first half, with Monaco holding a narrow 45-39 lead at halftime.
As the third quarter unfolded, Monaco maintained their slim advantage before Barcelona made a strong push to tie the game. A key 5-0 run by Matthew Strazel helped Monaco retain a 65-62 lead entering the final period.
In the dramatic fourth quarter, Barcelona briefly took the lead at 68-71 with strong performances from Brizuela and Fall. However, Monaco responded through James, who orchestrated an alley-oop to Papagiannis, putting his team up 76-74. Despite a late effort from Punter, Monaco held on as Punter missed a potential game-winning three-pointer in the closing seconds.
With the victory, Monaco advances to the EuroLeague Final Four, setting up semi-final against Olympiacos.
