AS Monaco produced another late comeback in the EuroLeague, defeating EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 90-85 on Tuesday at Salle Gaston Medecin.
The victory pushed Monaco to 19-14 in the standings and strengthened its position in the crowded playoff race, while Milan dropped to 16-17 and slipped further behind the postseason line.
The home side recovered from a difficult start and erased a 12-point fourth-quarter deficit to secure the win in front of its home crowd.
Monaco struggled early as Milan imposed physical play and controlled the glass.
The visitors closed the first quarter ahead 25-13 after limiting the hosts to 5-of-17 shooting from the field and capitalizing on rebounding advantages.
Elie Okobo then shifted the momentum in the second quarter with a dominant stretch that changed the rhythm of the game.
The French guard scored 12 points, handed out five assists and added a steal during nine minutes of action, hitting five of his six shots.
His scoring and playmaking brought Monaco back within three points at halftime, trimming Milan’s lead to 48-45.
After the break, Milan reestablished control through its frontcourt.
Zach LeDay and Devin Booker combined scoring and rebounding to restore a double-digit cushion, and a three-pointer by Shavon Shields pushed the margin to 73-63 late in the third quarter.
Pippo Ricci opened the fourth period with another basket to extend the lead to 75-63, putting Monaco in danger of losing control of the game.
Instead, the Principality club responded with defensive intensity and improved rebounding.
Kevarrius Hayes energized the comeback with 10 points, all on dunks, while Alpha Diallo contributed on both ends to reduce the gap to three points with five minutes remaining.
Monaco’s decisive run came in the closing minutes.
Okobo, who had not scored in the second half, orchestrated the offense with four assists during the final five minutes.
His playmaking sparked an 11-0 run that flipped the score to 88-82 with less than 20 seconds remaining.
Okobo finished with 16 points and 13 assists, the highest assist total of his EuroLeague career, while posting a performance index rating of 28.
Diallo led Monaco with 17 points, while Daniel Theis added 15 and Matthew Strazel scored 14.
Shields paced Milan with 18 points, and LeDay contributed 16 points in the losing effort.
Monaco will travel to face Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens on March 27, while Milan returns home to host Virtus Bologna on March 26.
