AS Monaco continued its rise to the top of the EuroLeague standings with a hard-fought 100-95 victory over Real Madrid on Friday evening at Salle Gaston Médecin.
Fresh from reaching its first EuroLeague championship game last spring, Monaco improved to 11-7 by finding a way to win despite uneven execution on both ends of the court.
Real Madrid threatened to take control of the game early, as Walter Tavares dominated the opening quarter with 15 points and seven rebounds, including five on the attacking side.
Monaco responded with physicality and tenacity, finishing with 17 offensive rebounds and 40 boards in total, offsetting the fourth-lowest number of assists of the campaign.
Elie Okobo led Monaco with 22 points, steadying the scores as the home side scored triple figures for the fourth time in their last five home games.
Mike James scored 15 points while operating in a less ball-dominant role, and Monaco’s depth in the backcourt proved decisive.
Matthew Strazel and Nemanja Nedovic each added 12 points, giving Monaco 61 combined points from the four primary guards.
Monaco looked in control late on after building a 95-81 lead with 1:50 to go, but the match quickly tightened as Real Madrid surged.
Facundo Campazzo scored 14 points in a 91-second span, cutting the deficit to 99-95 with eight seconds left and briefly shifting the pressure back to the home team.
The response came from experience, as Nikola Mirotic knocked down consecutive 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and finished with 10 points.
Mirotic also moved into fourth place on the all-time EuroLeague scoring list with 4,267 career points, passing Sergio Llull.
Monaco visits FC Barcelona next Tuesday, while Real Madrid, now 10-8, hosts Dubai Basketball next Friday.
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