Diallo came up with answers for Monaco against ALBA
AS Monaco had to battle incredibly hard to beat ALBA Berlin 92-89 on Friday night, with Elie Okobo scoring a last-second three-pointer. Before that, however, Monaco had Alpha Diallo step up at the right time.
ALBA came up with a surprising defensive strategy, playing box-and-one against Mike James all game long. James was only able to take 4 field goal attempts and, with its main scorer deactivated, ALBA managed to get a 38-40 lead late in the first half. Diallo had been scoreless until then, but he soon took matters into his own hands.
Diallo sank a couple of three-pointers, a pair of free throws and had back-to-back dunks, one off a steal and another just before the halftime buzzer. All of a sudden, Diallo helped Monaco go 12 points ahead, 52-44. Okobo earned the plaudits with his game-winning three-pointer, but it was Diallo who led Monaco in scoring with 20 points and 4 assists, providing instant offense on a day when his team needed it the most.