AS Monaco Basket returned to winning ways on the evening of Friday, October 17, edging past Valencia 90–84 at the Salle Gaston-Médecin in a game that swung wildly between dominance and doubt.

After a commanding first half that saw the hosts open up a 20-point lead, the Roca Team nearly threw it all away as Valencia roared back into contention after the break. But Vassilis Spanoulis’s men held their nerve to claim a vital EuroLeague victory and steady the ship after their midweek loss to Virtus Bologna.

Monaco came out flying, with Daniel Theis and Alpha Diallo setting the tone early before Matthew Strazel and Jaron Blossomgame joined the scoring surge. Nikola Mirotić, coming off the bench, helped stretch the lead to 57–37 by half-time with a series of clinical finishes and defensive stops that had the home fans on their feet.

The mood shifted dramatically in the third quarter. Monaco’s rhythm vanished, their defence sagged, and Valencia pounced — led by Badio and De Larrea, who cut the deficit to just six points. The Roca Team looked rattled, conceding a brutal 28–9 run.

It took the composure of Nemanja Nedović and the power of Kevarrius Hayes to steady the hosts in the final period. Hayes dominated inside, scoring eight of Monaco’s 12 points during a key stretch, while Diallo’s emphatic dunk on Puerto reignited the Gaston-Médecin crowd.

Monaco ultimately saw out the win, despite Valencia refusing to fold. The result lifts the Roca Team back into positive territory in the EuroLeague standings and restores confidence ahead of Sunday’s Betclic Elite clash away to ASVEL.

“It was a good game overall, especially after our non-performance in Bologna,” said coach Vassilis Spanoulis. “We were excellent in the first half, then completely lost control in the second. But the season is long — and it’s a good win.”

Matthew Strazel echoed the sentiment: “We needed to react, and we did. We’re improving every game. We’re on the right track.”

Valencia coach Pedro Martínez praised his side’s fightback but admitted: “We lacked intensity early on. In the second half we played our basketball, but we missed a few open shots that could have changed everything.”

A nervy finish, a needed win — and perhaps a reminder to the Roca Team that in the EuroLeague, no lead is ever safe.