The Roca Team sank after returning from the locker room, going completely through their third quarter before losing to the Greeks (62-76) on Friday in Kaunas.
The hierarchy was respected. The epic of AS Monaco, little thumb of the Final Four of the Euroleague, came to an end in Kaunas (Lithuania), Friday May 19, after a semi-final won by Olympiakos (76-62) . First French representatives present in the last four of the competition since Asvel in 1997, the Monegasque neophytes lacked experience against the Greek club, yet led by 12 points at the break (29-41).
Accustomed to major events, Olympiakos, triple winner of the Euroleague (1997, 2012 and 2013), erased their double confrontation lost against the club of the Principality during the regular season, by accelerating in the third quarter, winning 27 to 2. The Roca Team will not become the first club to win the competition undefeated or in the final since the introduction of the Final Four in 1987.
An expensive lack of experience
AS Monaco had however started their semi-final perfectly, dominating their opponent of the day in both halves of the floor. Skillful in the opposing racket, aggressive in theirs, Sasa Obradovic’s men managed to thwart the Greek plans for 20 minutes. But from the start of the third quarter, Olympiakos showed a completely different face, while Mike James’ teammates never seemed to have really left the locker room.
In the space of 10 minutes, the Principality club had drunk the cup and lost everything. Symbol of Olympiakos’ experience, the 32-year-old veteran winger, Kostas Papanikolaou, tipped the game in favor of his team (15 points, 8 rebounds). Already factor X of match 5 against Fenerbahçe (84-72), with 14 points and 11 rebounds, the Greek, present during the double European coronation of the Piraeus club (2012-2013), again showed the way to his teammates .
Stunned, AS Monaco never managed to catch up. Even the American superstar, Mike James, the only Monegasque to have already tasted the scent of the Final Four, was unable to guide a Roca Team drowned in the deep European waters. The Principality club will not succeed Limoges, the only French team to have been crowned European champions in 1993.
But for this club which was still playing in National 1 (3rd level) nine years ago (2014), the rise is promising. THE Sasa Obradovic players will have the opportunity to erase this disillusion, Sunday, during the match for the third place, against the loser of the “Clasico” between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. AS Monaco will then have to switch to the Betclic Élite play-offs with the reception of Strasbourg next Wednesday.