The Roca Team dodged a bullet on the evening of Tuesday, March 25 at the Salle Gaston-Médecin, clawing back from the brink against Zalgiris Kaunas to claim a 96-86 overtime victory. With Mike James and Elie Okobo leading the charge, Monaco solidified their fourth-place standing in the Euroleague, eyes now set on Thursday’s showdown with Olympiakos in Greece.
The game teetered on a knife’s edge. Zalgiris’ Sylvain Francisco nearly buried Monaco at the buzzer, but his last-second shot rimmed out, forcing overtime at 80-80. James, the 2024 Euroleague MVP, shook off a shaky night to deliver 22 points and eight rebounds, igniting the extra frame alongside Okobo’s 21 points and silky playmaking.
Monaco’s rollercoaster started early. Down 44-48 at halftime, they found life with Matthew Strazel’s off-balance three and Okobo’s buzzer-beater. Alpha Diallo tied it at 51-51 post-break, but old habits crept in—sloppy play let Zalgiris surge to 58-67 by the third. Then came the turnaround: Mam Jaiteh and Jaron Blossomgame (15 points, 10 rebounds) steadied the ship, while Terry Tarpey’s defensive grit rattled the Lithuanians.
In the clutch, James flipped the script. A mid-range jumper and a quick-trigger three levelled it at 78-78 with 40 seconds left. Zalgiris’ Arnas Butkevicius answered with a floater, but Daniel Theis (16 points, 9 rebounds) coolly sank two free throws after a foul to force OT. Exhausted, Zalgiris crumbled as James and Okobo poured in the first 10 points of overtime, sealing the deal despite a late Francisco three (92-86).
The win, Monaco’s 19th in Europe this season, locks them in the top four with three games left. Next up: a trip to Piraeus to face Olympiakos on the evening of Thursday, March 27, followed by Panathinaikos at home and a regular-season finale at Asvel on Thursday, April 10.
