Alpha Diallo was the team's surprise star on the night
Monaco ‘better than expected’ in demolition of Milan
Article
3 Mins read
Regular Season
Round 1 of 34
Regular Season
AS MonacoASM
9380
EA7 Emporio Armani MilanEA7
Overview
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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.
Game Videos
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/nXGJcPYp96o/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Championship Game, Mic'd Up: Nigel Hayes-Davis, Daniel Theis
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/3b99a03c-d022-4170-800b-b88347c4e412.jpg]()
Top 5 Plays | Championship Game | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/04aa4f58-ed46-4b37-91b6-955bca48fc83.jpg]()
AS Monaco-Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul | Championship Game Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:09
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/ead12edc-7d98-49da-85fe-b742b10e15bf.jpg?crop=838%3A472%3Anowe%3A62%3A85]()
Calathes creates for Diallo! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:19
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/39df03a4-6e95-4245-88aa-ad5126b2047c.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A75%3A49]()
Diallo beats the buzzer again! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:16
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/2c001000-6b21-44e9-b1f4-f5beeb8b67fe.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A97%3A116]()
Diallo beats the buzzer! Motorola Magic Moment
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/RwAr798kiek/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Championship Game Talk with Jaron Blossomgame
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/tacf1HLLQtM/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Mic'd Up: Alpha Diallo and Thomas Walkup | 2025 EuroLeague Semifinals
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/027a4ab4-b48f-4c27-bca9-abffed80979f.jpg]()
Olympiacos Piraeus-AS Monaco | Semifinal Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:39
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/05/23/t89rZ4DDz4HV41CtiOVBJbcyTXiJ4UJ7-1748031659345.jpg]()
Showtime by Monaco! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night
- 00:24
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/e3dce2cd-e512-4505-b7b2-2aff9ed8e2e4.jpg?crop=1253%3A705%3Anowe%3A91%3A26]()
James with a sublime dish! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:18
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/dbc52b19-9cc6-4057-8e6d-9c6c3a14250e.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A49%3A46]()
Diallo skies for the slam! Motorola Magic Moment
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/Nvyc_M3ObWc/maxresdefault.jpg]()
At the Final Four: Matthew Strazel, AS Monaco
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/P9LzgoGJj8Y/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Mike James appears on the EuroLeague & Friends podcast... with a surprise guest!
- 00:16
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/05/06/JUaf9UxlyP7u6LS4dvzV5IbMqDHJKeZu-1746566201071.jpg]()
Diallo posterizes Parker! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night
- 00:44
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/05/06/h3ExZExKrqyFSIN4i1skJRyFkyoHWi0q-1746562626879.jpg]()
Mike James: 'We like to make it tough'
- 01:00
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/05/06/gEaB6NexMzjMMuKNXZ2icVMWRfiYOdjA-1746562569260.jpg]()
Georgios Papagiannis: 'I was staying ready'
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/c12a0edd-d88c-4409-b77c-e8d4d43c31a7.jpg]()
AS Monaco-FC Barcelona | Playoffs Game 5 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:10
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/b4200e75-1dd0-472b-bfb9-3776124cc037.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A84%3A105]()
James & Papagannis connection! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:12
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/d8ba6266-e8bd-45d8-9708-a94b956c8087.jpg?crop=1217%3A684%3Anowe%3A79%3A61]()
Papagiannis dunks off a James dish! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:13
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/ec551911-6602-4721-be48-12c17e6d4d36.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A123%3A158]()
Blossomgame flies for the put-back slam! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:10
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/40171041-2639-45ec-bc25-5f0efd28dafb.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A58%3A88]()
Diallo turns defense to offense! Motorola Magic Moment
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/a808e080-40c9-4d61-85df-3a62ecb274f5.jpg]()
FC Barcelona-AS Monaco | Playoffs Game 4 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:20
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/05/02/E2jE1FhKXxWGowT6lp8lUBHRABQWb054-1746220519769.jpg]()
Diallo's big dunk! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night
- 00:13
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/4facf830-7c30-41b8-8277-3d9219923fe8.jpg?crop=3401%3A1914%3Anowe%3A476%3A149]()
James finds Theis! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:10
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/18b44212-7737-497c-834f-4598a3ad0902.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A136%3A65]()
Blossomgame's two-handed dunk! Motorola Magic Moment
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/ixVNKzRorFI/maxresdefault.jpg]()
FC Barcelona-AS Monaco | Playoffs Game 3 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:15
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/c3ba4c5c-5d27-481b-a456-33bb7c43fe26.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A99%3A117]()
Diallo's big block! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:56
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/04/25/5MDZZUMWmSnDeXB3gejIcDzwOa4WPMo2-1745619717657.jpg]()
Alpha Diallo: 'It's really hard to beat us'
- 00:27
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/04/25/sj48gClWyAbmzcz6b4EWrdbLAyfZX8YF-1745613987862.jpg]()
Monaco Showtime! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night
- 01:15
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/04/25/7kYjLtcGcqMcb5sJaePlCTtQpFGBDyqB-1745619612632.jpg]()
Mam Jaiteh: 'If we play like this defensively, we will do good'
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/c434196f-2c3b-4a3c-9e75-9bb1358ab5db.jpg]()
AS Monaco-FC Barcelona | PO Game 2 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:12
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/705e4bf7-41aa-4a89-adf0-50b286b7a92f.jpg?crop=532%3A299%3Anowe%3A318%3A72]()
Tarpey’s big driving dunk! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:28
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/6f250613-2b31-4806-8f7a-043b7c847f44.jpg?crop=527%3A297%3Anowe%3A582%3A187]()
Jaiteh’s poster dunk! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:17
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/e2437211-bc12-4b44-b537-c347d9b8bdcf.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A125%3A109]()
From defense to slam-dunk offense! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:14
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/6f250613-2b31-4806-8f7a-043b7c847f44.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A94%3A83]()
Jaiteh’s diving hustle! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:07
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/fd41b7fa-eee1-4077-a70f-e7f298d962ad.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A94%3A33]()
Diallo’s chasedown block! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:26
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/04/23/MNpEVTF7XBbmypZF8BcgiUtdNzpQNtXA-1745442527164.jpg]()
Tarpey's big block! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night
- 00:58
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/04/23/01Vb0KNent3LNoG2l7eoYqnJZ2Qn45Kr-1745438152702.jpg]()
Daniel Theis: 'Matthew Strazel sets the tone for our defense'
- 00:55
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/04/23/6OXuS7cMklN446eP9hQKXFHJSR9vod3x-1745438098489.jpg]()
Elie Okobo: 'We showed great character today'
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/52666067-1016-45a4-b5ff-200e06f4cb13.jpg]()
AS Monaco-FC Barcelona | PO Game-1 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:12
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/60182b3f-81cd-47cd-bf88-3c401e48102f.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A103%3A122]()
Theis throws it down! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:11
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/5571b7d4-0389-4409-bce4-ed85a86f595d.jpg?crop=1236%3A695%3Anowe%3A57%3A40]()
James turns defense into offense! Motorola Magic Moment
- 01:38
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/04/10/D3C7yBWJzjx5r0A0RL1unAoXLgIRGfBc-1744320566502.jpg]()
Nikola Mirotic: 'We did this for ourselves, our fans'
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/3bd110f1-e5a3-4be3-91c0-960ae1097c4d.jpg]()
EA7 Emporio Armani Milan-Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz | RS Round 34 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:56
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/04/10/2wUnPD4idFyFE94jc4oNLwHK3bhCfipj-1744319165989.jpg]()
Mike James: 'We can celebrate a little bit'
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/927fb3ee-04b8-4f2c-9bb0-51a407f0443d.jpg]()
LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne-AS Monaco | RS Round 34 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:11
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/bc2c4a25-2f87-4db1-b705-7c764df153d0.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A54%3A90]()
Ousmane Diop with behind-the-back dish! Motorola Magic Moment
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/7246b817-834e-4575-9145-557f6e3c343c.jpg?crop=1920%3A1080%3Anowe%3A0%3A0]()
The EuroLeague & Friends gang are joined by Nick Calathes for episode 22
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/2b76ec62-cb28-42ad-ab57-5b4a957d312f.jpg]()
Virtus Segafredo Bologna-EA7 Emporio Armani Milan | RS Round 33 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
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.