Three teams lead the EuroLeague with 10 wins and four defeats, one of these is AS Monaco which in its second season in the top European competition is flying high with a 5-2 record both at home and on the road. Monaco during the last double round, all spent in Monte Carlo, lost to Barcelona and beat Alba Berlin with an Elie Okobo’s clutch three. In the last two games it didn’t have Jordan Loyd, the starting shooting guard, but as a matter of fact it was the only absence that Monaco has suffered so far (Loyd shoulde be able to return in Milan). This also explains an objectively very high-level efficiency, thanks mostly to the ability to win close games. Monaco won three games by three or fewer points, five by six or fewer points “and” two games were won in overtime. In a competition in which the differences are minimal, these are numbers that carry considerable weight. Olimpia on the other hand lost two games out of two in overtime. However, MIlan enters this game refreshed by the Belgrade victory and determined to erase “zero” as the number of home wins. Olimpia has the fifth-best road record in the EuroLeague, 4-4, but obviously it has the worst at home. Tip-off time is at 20:30 on Friday, 23rd of December.
REFEREES – Matej Boltauzer (Slovenia), Benjamin Jimenez (Spain), Anne Panther (Germany).
COACH ETTORE MESSINA – “After the good game in Belgrade, we know this one is going to be very difficult, against a very strong isolation team, led by Mike James and Elie Okobo, and extremely athletic and dangerous when it comes to offensive rebounding. To think about winning the game, we will ahve to be efficient at boxing out them, make their talented players work hard at the defensive end of the floor and have patience. Unfortunately, on top of our already injured players, Luwawu-Cabarrot is forced to stay in bed since Sunday night and will be a game-time decision.”
AS MONACO – Coached by Sasa Obradovic, Monaco is a team built around the backcourt. The key player obviously is Mike James (18.8 points and 4.2 assists per game), one of the best EuroLeague scorers of the last few years, in his second season in Monaco. Elie Okobo, after spending some years in the U.S., moved to Villeurbanne before the last season and then moved over the summer to the other French team. He is a left-handed one-on-one player who is averaging 12.3 points per game and made the clutch three that won the game for Monaco against Alba last week. Jordan Loyd (12.9 points per game) is coming back with his all-around game. The backcourt is completed by Matthew Strazel and the shooter Yakouba Ouattara. At the small forward explosive Alpha Diallo is taking most of the minutes (10.6 points per game, 38.9 percent from three, 4.5 rebounds). His back-up is Jaron Blossomgame (4.4 points per game). The power forwards are John Brown, an extremely intense and aggressive player, and Adrien Moerman. Brown is averaging 6.6 points per game, with 1.6 steals and 3.5 rebounds, 2.2 of them are grabbed under the offensive board. Moerman, who’s been a EuroLeague champion twice with Efes, is averaging 2.8 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. The team is using two complementary centers: the Lithuanian Donatas Motiejunas is a scorer who is averaging 8.7 points and 3.1 rebounds per game while shooting 67.3 percent from two; Donta Hall is a lob-catcher who is averaging 7.2 points and 4.4 rebounds per game and is shooting 71.4 percent from close range.
HISTORY VS. MONACO – The two teams split the two games played during the last season. Olimpia won in Monaco and Monaco won in Milan in the return game.
THE MONACO CONNECTION – Mike James has spent one season in Milano, in 2018/19, and was the EuroLeague leading scorer. He appeared in 30 games with 595 points and 191 assists. Brandon Davies was playing for Monaco during the 2016/17 season, but back in the day the team was not part of the EuroLeague. Jordan Loyd played along Billy Baron in St. Petersburg last season.
GAME NOTES –Brandon Davies is 3 points shy of 2.000 for his career. He was named the EuroLeague Round 14 MVP, after setting his personal record for assists in one game with seven. He is also five defensive rebounds shy of 500 for his career. Nicolò Melli has started in all Olimpia’s 14 games. He has started in all the 46 games he has played for Milan. Billy Baron is averaging 14.2 points per Olimpia win (he is averaging 7.8 points in the games Olimpia has lost). He made at least one three in 13 of his last 14 games. Kyle Hines is four blocks shy of 300 for his career. Since he came to Milan, he has played 90 straight EuroLeague games for Olimpia.
