On a night filled with drama at Gaston Médecin, AS Monaco held off a resilient Baskonia squad to claim a hard-fought 92-85 victory, marking their sixth consecutive win across all competitions. What seemed like a comfortable lead at halftime nearly slipped away, but the Roca Boys showed their mettle in the final minutes, with Mike James stepping up when it mattered most.
The match began with Monaco imposing its dominance early, powered by the interior presence of Georgios Papagiannis and the precision passing of Nick Calathes. A blistering first-half performance saw the hosts build a 16-point cushion (51-35), seemingly in full control of the game. The ball movement was crisp, the defence suffocating, and the energy electric.
But the second half was a different story. Baskonia came out of the locker room with renewed intensity, punishing Monaco’s defensive lapses and clawing their way back into the contest. A 28-12 run saw the Spanish side erase the deficit entirely, briefly taking the lead in the fourth quarter. With nerves fraying and momentum shifting, it was clear this battle would be decided in the dying moments.
Enter Mike James. Already one of the EuroLeague’s all-time greats, the American guard cemented his legend further by surpassing the 5,000-point milestone, becoming just the third player in competition history to do so. And he did it in style. With seven points and two assists in the final five minutes, James orchestrated a 13-3 Monaco surge that sealed the victory. His clutch shot-making and playmaking ensured that Baskonia’s comeback bid would fall just short.
Vassilis Spanoulis (AS Monaco): “EuroLeague games are never easy. We played a fantastic first half and then completely stopped playing. We allowed Baskonia too much freedom, and they punished us. But in the last five minutes, we played as a team again, tightened up defensively, and made the right plays. I also want to congratulate Mike James—5,000 points in EuroLeague is an incredible achievement, and he deserves all the credit.”
With this victory, Monaco strengthens its hold in the EuroLeague’s top three, setting up a crucial home clash against Partizan on Friday, February 7.
