AS Monaco took a major step through the EuroLeague finish line on Friday night, beating FC Barcelona 93-86 at Salle Gaston Medecin to secure a top-10 finish and a place in the postseason picture.
It was the kind of win that reflected Monaco’s season: short-handed, under pressure and still standing at the end. Head coach Manu Markoishvili’s team again dressed only eight players, with Daniel Theis returning and Nikola Mirotic ruled out at the last minute, yet Monaco stayed composed when the game tightened.
Monaco needed every bit of that mindset against a Barcelona side trying to survive its own injury issues. Tomas Satoransky and Nico Laprovittola were unavailable, while backup Juani Marcos was also unable to play, leaving head coach Xavi Pascual to improvise in the backcourt.
Kevin Punter kept Barcelona alive with 27 points, including 6-of-7 shooting from three-point range, and Toko Shengelia handled the ball-handling load early with seven assists. But Monaco controlled the bigger moments and had the deeper collective response.
Elie Okobo led the home side with 16 points and eight assists, following up another all-around performance from Wednesday’s win over LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne. Mike James added 16 points and went a perfect 9-for-9 from the free-throw line, while Matthew Strazel and Jaron Blossomgame each gave Monaco important secondary scoring and energy.
The game turned in the third quarter when Kevarrius Hayes changed the tone off the bench. He had not scored before entering midway through the period, then erupted for seven straight points to push Monaco ahead, before adding six more late, including the fastbreak dunk that gave the hosts their first double-digit lead.
Monaco finished with 26 made free throws on 29 attempts and 19 assists, showing the balance that Barcelona could not match as foul trouble and fatigue took hold. The win lifted Monaco to 21-16, enough to lock up a postseason berth and leave open a chance at direct playoff qualification.
Monaco closes the regular season at home against Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv, with a path to a higher seed still possible if Hapoel loses its derby against Maccabi on Sunday. Barcelona, now 20-17, ends the regular season at home against Bayern Munich on April 17.
