The Roca Team strengthened its challenge at the top of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague standings
Monaco takes first place with win over Efes, 94-75
AS Monaco stayed strong at home to comfortably down Anadolu Efes Istanbul, 94-75, on Thursday night. The Roca Team improved to 12-6 to establish a two-game margin over Efes at 10-8.
Monaco raced into an early double-digit lead, which was extended to 49-34 at halftime. The advantage reached 19 points early in the second half, and that was too big a gap for Efes to ever threaten. Monaco’s team effort was paced by 14 points apiece for Mike James and Jordan Loyd. Mam Jaiteh added 12 points, and Jaron Blossomgame scored 11. Dan Oturu paced Efes with 14 points, with double-digit scoring from Darius Thompson (12), Elijah Bryant (12), Rolands Smits (10) and Vincent Poirier (10).
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Loyd’s three-pointer gave Monaco the first lead, and Thompson’s driving layup responded for Efes. Vitto Brown’s triple, James’s layup and Loyd’s free throws made it 10-2, before Poirier and Donatas Motiejunas traded close-range scores. Brown’s three-point play pushed Monaco into a double-digit lead, 15-4. Ercan Osmani’s inside score and a pair of Poirier dunks pulled Efes closer, but Georgios Papagiannis scored 4 fast points before Bryant and Elie Okobo traded triples to make it 22-13 after ten minutes.
Papagiannis opened the second quarter with a floater, and three-pointers were exchanged between Rodrigue Beaubois and Matthew Strazel. Jaiteh’s fastbreak finish stretched Monaco’s lead to 29-16, but Oturu’s tip-in and Shane Larkin’s floater reduced the margin to single digits. Two more Jaiteh buckets kept Monaco comfortable, 35-20, and 4 straight points for Oturu didn’t help Efes much as Motiejunas and James netted at the other end. Free throws and a James triple maintained the margin, and it was 49-34 at the interval.
Jaiteh’s steal and score was bettered by Bryant’s triple to start the second half, but Terry Tarpey struck from deep and Jaiteh netted again to make it 56-37. Bryant and Loyd traded close-range buckets, before Jordan Nwora’s triple and a pair of Smits scores made it closer, 58-48. Blossomgame snapped a 0-9 run to settle Monaco, and Okobo added a smooth layup. Papagiannis and Poirier were on target at the rim, and a triple from Strazel made it 69-54 with ten minutes left.
Blossomgame’s threeball made Monaco even more comfortable, before Oturu scored twice and Thompson added a jumper to keep Efes hoping, 75-60. Strazel hit his third triple and Motiejunas was on target to protect a safe margin, and James also struck from deep for an 83-66 margin. Blossomgame’s layup and highlight reel reverse slam removed any lingering doubt despite a flurry of points from Thompson, and Monaco eased to a clear win.