Alpha Diallo was the team's surprise star on the night
Monaco ‘better than expected’ in demolition of Milan



In the lead-up to the season opener, the battle between AS Monaco and EA7 Emporio Armani Milan was pitted as a clash between two recent Turkish Airlines EuroLeague MVPs: Mike James, the current holder of the award, and the 2022 MVP, Nikola Mirotic.
Yet, the two star players ended up being more on the periphery as Monaco overwhelmed Milan 93-80 to start its season on the right foot.
"I would say it was over my expectations, to be honest," claimed Monaco head coach Sasa Obradovic. "It was a great team win, everybody contributed on a high level. The first part was good defensively, and the whole game we did a great job offensively."
James, in action for the first time since a procedure on his back over the summer, played 18:36 minutes and finished with 9 points and 5 assists, with all but two of those assists coming in the first half. James gave his teammates a nice boost, scoring his first bucket after only seven seconds and helping Monaco to a 21-halftime lead.
"It is different when Mike is there, the floor is larger with him, I would say," said Obradovic.
"Mike James is an X-Factor, always. He makes it easier for us, and we just play off of him," added Alpha Diallo, the game’s top scorer with 20 points.
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But what made the biggest difference was Monaco’s offensive rebounding. The hosts had 12 offensive boards in the first two quarters, on 20 missed shots.
It prompted a halftime reaction from Milan coach Ettore Messina, who questioned his team’s heart. The visitors allowed just 3 offensive rebounds after the break, but the deficit proved to be too big to overcome.
"There are a lot of good things we showed in this game," said Mam Jaiteh, who had 10 points and 7 rebounds. "There have been many changes on the team, but the mind is there, the atmosphere is good, and I have no doubt we are going to raise our team spirit and chemistry."
After one game, played without Nick Calathes and with James far from his best, Monaco certainly looks like it will have plenty to say this season.