AS Monaco delivered a dominant 105-85 victory over Hapoel Tel Aviv on Friday at Salle Gaston Medecin, locking in eighth place and a spot in the EuroLeague Play-In Showdown.
The result denied Hapoel the chance to secure home-court advantage, dropping the Israeli side to sixth despite entering the night with identical records.
Monaco set the tone early with efficient offense and pace, tying a club first-half record with 58 points while building a 17-point lead at the break.
The hosts opened the third quarter with a 14-2 run, stretching the margin to 29 points and effectively ending the contest before the final period.
Mike James controlled the tempo from the start, scoring 20 points and dishing out seven assists while pushing transition and exploiting defensive gaps.
The guard scored 15 points in the first half, setting up Monaco’s offensive rhythm and limiting Hapoel’s ability to settle defensively.
Jaron Blossomgame provided the decisive scoring punch, finishing with a career-high 30 points on 8-of-9 shooting inside the arc and 4-of-9 from three-point range.
Eighteen of his points came after halftime, as he punished mismatches and capitalized on defensive rotations.
Monaco’s efficiency was reflected in its shooting numbers, finishing 69.2 percent from two-point range and 46.2 percent from beyond the arc while converting all 15 free-throw attempts.
The team also recorded 28 assists on 39 made field goals, highlighting ball movement and spacing against a defense that struggled to contain penetration.
Hapoel was led by Daniel Oturu’s 14 points and Chris Jones’s 17 points and 10 assists, but the visitors could not match Monaco’s offensive efficiency.
The Israeli side shot 48.9 percent inside the arc and 37.0 percent from three, but turnovers and defensive breakdowns prevented any sustained run.
Monaco enters the play-in having won six of its last eight games under Markoishvili, despite operating with a shortened rotation due to injuries.
The French club will face seventh-placed Panathinaikos next, carrying momentum and offensive cohesion into a high-stakes elimination setting.
With efficient scoring, disciplined execution, and a clear hierarchy led by James, Monaco reinforced its ability to compete against playoff-caliber opposition at a critical stage of the season.
