News
Game Report
Monaco survives overtime thriller against Zalgiris, 96-86

Monaco survives overtime thriller against Zalgiris, 96-86

Game Report

25 March 20253 Mins read

Natxo Mendaza

Monaco survives overtime thriller against Zalgiris, 96-86

Mike James and Elie Okobo suffocated the Lithuanian champs in the extra period

Regular Season

Round 31 of 34

game Zalgiris Kaunas vs AS Monaco

Group Regular Season

25 March 2025, 18:00

Regular Season

25 March 2025, 18:00

Regular Season

AS Monaco

ASM

Zalgiris Kaunas

ZAL

Final Score

AS Monaco clinched a hard-fought 96-86 overtime victory over Zalgiris Kaunas to improve its record to 19-12 and remain among the top four teams after 31 rounds. The hosts had to overcome a second-quarter 14-point deficit and trailed 65-72 midway through the last period, but a strong late reaction led by Mike James forced overtime, 80-80. James and Elie Okobo combined for 10 points early in overtime to decide the game as Zalgiris ran out of energy. Zalgiris slipped to 14-17.

James led all scorers with 22 points, Elie Okobo followed with 21, Daniel Theis posted 16 points and 9 rebounds, and Jared Blossongame finished with 15 points and 10 boards. Sylvain Francisco paced Zalgiris with 19 points but missed the winning shot in regulation. Ignas Brazdeikis netted 17 and collected 7 rebounds, while Alen Smailagic chipped in 15 and Isaiah Wong 10 in the losing effort.

Game Videos

AS Monaco-Zalgiris Kaunas | RS Round 31 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
25 March 202525 Mar 2025
00:20
Okobo with a classy jumper to close the half! Motorola Magic Moment
25 March 202525 Mar 2025
00:09
Wong finds Smailagic for the slam! Motorola Magic Moment
25 March 202525 Mar 2025
The Fantasy Challenge Podcast gang reunites for the double week
25 March 202525 Mar 2025
FC Barcelona-Zalgiris Kaunas | RS Round 30 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
21 March 202521 Mar 2025
00:15
Dunston’s dunk! Motorola Magic Moment
21 March 202521 Mar 2025
00:45
Mike James: 'We played with more energy than we have been'
20 March 202520 Mar 2025
AS Monaco-Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul | RS Round 30 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
20 March 202520 Mar 2025
00:17
Diallo with a clutch dunk! Motorola Magic Moment
20 March 202520 Mar 2025
00:24
Theis with a monster dunk! Motorola Magic Moment
20 March 202520 Mar 2025
00:17
What a block from Blossomgame! Motorola Magic Moment:
20 March 202520 Mar 2025
Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv-AS Monaco | RS Round 29 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
13 March 202513 Mar 2025
00:33
Francisco for the win! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night
13 March 202513 Mar 2025
01:59
Sylvain Francisco: 'I knew I was gonna make it!'
13 March 202513 Mar 2025
Zalgiris Kaunas-Paris Basketball | RS Round 29 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
13 March 202513 Mar 2025
00:14
Jaiteh capitalizes on James’s no-look pass! Motorola Magic Moment
13 March 202513 Mar 2025
00:09
Theis stops Clark! Motorola Magic Moment
13 March 202513 Mar 2025
00:07
What a block by Isaiah Wong! Motorola Magic Moment
13 March 202513 Mar 2025
00:14
Butkevicius and Birutis shine for Zalgiris! Motorola Magic Moment
13 March 202513 Mar 2025
00:14
Smailagic denies at the rim! Motorola Magic Moment
13 March 202513 Mar 2025
Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz-Zalgiris Kaunas | RS Round 28 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
6 March 20256 Mar 2025
01:07
Jordan Loyd: 'We gotta build on this win'
5 March 20255 Mar 2025
Paris Basketball-AS Monaco | RS Round 28 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
5 March 20255 Mar 2025
00:13
Theis posterizes Kratzer! Motorola Magic Moment
5 March 20255 Mar 2025
EA7 Emporio Armani Milan-AS Monaco | RS Round 27 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
27 February 202527 Feb 2025
00:59
Alain Smailagic: 'We did everything that needed to be done to win'
27 February 202527 Feb 2025
Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade-Zalgiris Kaunas | RS Round 27 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
27 February 202527 Feb 2025
00:12
Theis opens his Monaco account with a slam! Motorola Magic Moment
27 February 202527 Feb 2025
00:14
Cornelie posterizes Gillespie! Motorola Magic Moment
27 February 202527 Feb 2025
00:12
Blossomgame dunks off a James dish! Motorola Magic Moment
27 February 202527 Feb 2025
AS Monaco-Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade | RS Round 26 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
7 February 20257 Feb 2025
00:13
Nice move from Monaco! Motorola Magic Moment
7 February 20257 Feb 2025
Zalgiris Kaunas-EA7 Emporio Armani Milan | RS Round 26 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
6 February 20256 Feb 2025
00:24
Walker’s circus bucket! Motorola Magic Moment
6 February 20256 Feb 2025
00:21
Papagiannis posterizes Moneke! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night
5 February 20255 Feb 2025
01:28
Vassilis Spanoulis: 'This is a huge milestone for Mike James, 5,000 points'
5 February 20255 Feb 2025
00:48
Mike James after reaching 5,000 points: 'It's something nice to add to the résumé'
5 February 20255 Feb 2025
AS Monaco-Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz | RS Round 25 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
5 February 20255 Feb 2025
00:16
Papagiannis posterizes Moneke! Motorola Magic Moment
5 February 20255 Feb 2025
01:42
Bryant Dunston: 'Our defense has to be what we hold our hat on'
4 February 20254 Feb 2025
Zalgiris Kaunas-ALBA Berlin | RS Round 25 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
4 February 20254 Feb 2025
00:10
Dunston with a one-handed slam! Motorola Magic Moment
4 February 20254 Feb 2025
00:44
Nick Calathes: 'Every game for us is like a final'
31 January 202531 Jan 2025
AS Monaco-Real Madrid | RS Round 24 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
31 January 202531 Jan 2025
Zalgiris Kaunas-FC Bayern Munich | RS Round 24 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
30 January 202530 Jan 2025
00:26
Birutis with the big slam! Motorola Magic Moment
30 January 202530 Jan 2025
00:10
Sirvydis’s chase-back block on Obst! Motorola Magic Moment
30 January 202530 Jan 2025
Round 24 video preview: Everything you need to know about this week's key games
27 January 202527 Jan 2025
01:29
Georgios Papagiannis: 'We had to win this game'
23 January 202523 Jan 2025
Virtus Segafredo Bologna-AS Monaco | RS Round 23 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
23 January 202523 Jan 2025

Show all

With only one three-pointer for each team in the first 3 minutes, the game started with strong defenses that prevailed over offenses. Bradzdeikis opened fire for the visitors with 5 straight points and Francisco and Smailagic followed to put Zalgiris ahead, 7-9. Despite losing Laurynas Birutis early because of his third foul and watching Monaco come back, 11-10, Zalgiris remained strong and punished the hosts with a 0-11 run in which Brazdeikis chipped in 5 more points, to escape to 11-21 and finish the first quarter ahead 15-23.

With Wong running the offense, Zalgiris overcame a first Monaco attempt to rally. A technical foul on James, which turned into his third foul and forced him to the bench, preceded a three-pointer and a slam by Smailagic that made things look even better for the Lithuanian champs, 21-34. The hosts’ timeout didn’t work, as Wong and Smailagic kept producing and Francisco showed up with his first three to dig it deeper, 27-42. A 7-0 run led by Theis stopped the bleeding, while back-to-back daggers from downtown by Matthew Strazel and Alpha Diallo capped a 13-4 spark that made it close, 40-46. A buzzer-beating jumper by Okobo brought Monaco within 44-48 at halftime.

Arnas Butkevicius set a 46-51 edge from behind the arc after the game resumed, but those were the only Zalgiris points in more than 3 minutes. Monaco managed to complete the rally and tie things up, 51-51, when Okobo hit his second three of the night. The visitors stopped the game and changed four players, who delivered rapidly. Smailagic came first with 5 straight points to wake Zalgiris up, 54-59, as Theis and Birutis collected their fourth fouls almost immediately. A three-point play by Francisco and a late three by Deividas Sirvydis were like water for the thirsty, enabling the visitors to finish the third quarter with a 58-65 edge.

Mam Jaiteh took over for Monaco early in the last quarter, going for 7 points in a row that got the home team within 65-67, as Birutis fouled out. Zalgiris didn’t tremble, though, and used the free-throw line to keep scoring and earn a 65-72 advantage with 6 minutes remaining. Diallo was the next one to foul out, as Theis and James made it a one-possession game from the line soon after, with the latter hitting a mid-range jumper to tie it, 73-73, entering crunch-time. Edgaras Ulanovas made the most from consecutive offensive rebounds and nailed a three to cool down Monaco, 73-76, but James remained red-hot and tied it again with 5 more points, including a huge three to tie it at 78-78 with 39 seconds to go. Butkevicius gave Zalgiris its last bucket, but Theis sent the game to overtime because of an offensive foul called after the Butkevicius shot.

James continued pulling the strings for Monaco in the extra session as he opened fire with a bucket and followed with 3 free throws after drawing a foul on Dunston to boost the hosts to an 85-80 lead. That was too much for an exhausted Zalgiris, which saw how Okobo extended it to 90-83 soon after. Despite Francisco hitting from downtown, Monaco felt completely in charge and just needed another bucket from Okobo to seal the win.