AS Monaco trailed 61-50 late in the third quarter of its Round 32 showdown against LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne, but ended up getting a 77-87 victory. What happened? 


Okobo sparked Monaco's huge comeback 

AS Monaco trailed 61-50 late in the third quarter of its Round 32 showdown against LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne, but ended up rallying for a 77-87 victory. What happened? 

Monaco had a horrible day from the three-point line. It finished the game making just 3 of 19 three-pointers (15.8% 3FG), while ASVEL buried 12 of 26 three-pointers (46.2% 3FG) and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot hit more shots from downtown (5) than the entire Monaco team.

Okobo, however, buried two in a row which were enough to put Monaco back in track. His back-to-back three-pointers allowed Monaco to get within 61-56 at the end of the third quarter. Until that point, ASVEL had outplayed Monaco with very physical basketball, many plays above the rim and even an extraordinary four-point play by Nando De Colo.

ASVEL still led 66-60 with 8 minutes remaining but Monaco regrouped on defense at the right time, going on a mammoth 5-24 run over the next 7 minutes. ASVEL was forced into 5 turnovers during that run, in which Alpha Diallo stood out. he had 9 of his 15 points in those 7 minutes. Jared Blossomgame had 5, including a go-ahead three-pointer with the game tied at 71-71, while Mike James and Okobo each had 4.

Monaco's comeback at LDLC Arena

Monaco dominated in the paint, making 30 of 42 two-pointers (71.4% 2FG) and committing just 11 turnovers against ASVEL's 16.

"They have been playing in the last four games with great confidence and made crazy ones," Okobo said after the game. "We stayed locked in. Like Coach said, we are supposed to play the last three \[regular season\] games like finals to be in the top four and get home-court advantage for the playoffs. We didn't show it the entire game, but when it mattered the most, we did."

"It is always an intense matchup against ASVEL," Diallo added. "I am glad we came out with a win. We have to clean up a little bit more stuff going back home next game. Every game is important right now for seeding."

Monaco finished the regular season with a 10-7 road record. Its last two games are at home, against Zalgiris Kaunas and FC Bayern Munich.

Game News

Game Videos

The French guard led his team with 16 points

Elie Okobo sparked Monaco's huge comeback 

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne v AS Monaco (2024-03-28T20:00:00.000Z)

Zalgiris Kaunas registered its third double-digit home win in as many games, downing EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 87-73 in Round 32 to go up to 14-17 in the standings, keeping its play-in hopes alive. 


Sumner keeps Zalgiris's dream alive

Zalgiris Kaunas registered its third double-digit home win in as many games, downing EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 87-73 in Round 32 to improve to 14-17 in the standings and keep its Play-In Showdown hopes alive. 

Zalgiris struggled in the first half, making just 4 of 16 three-pointers and turning the ball over six times. Zalgiris did much better in the second half, burying 6 of 11 shots from beyond the arc and committing just 2 turnovers, outrebounding Milan 36-29 and getting 12 offensive boards.

It also found an unexpected go-to guy. Edmond Sumner, who had 3 points in the first two quarters, thrilled Zalgiris fans with an outstanding performance after the break. When he returned to the floor midway through the third quarter, Zalgiris led 41-39 and Shavon Shields was at the foul line to shoot a pair of free throws. Sumner immediately grabbed the ball and scored in penetration.

He soon found Laurynas Birutis for a two-handed dunk and hit an acrobatic one-handed floater in the lane. Right after that, Sumner found Kevarrius Hayes for a one-handed alley-oop. All of a sudden, Zalgiris had a 56-48 margin and was well on its way to winning the game.

"I felt great. Like I said, I've been sticking with the process throughout the whole season, just trying to adjust to this game," Sumner said after the game. "And I feel like I put a complete game together, even playing limited minutes the first half. But Coach has been giving me confidence. He's been staying on me, giving me pointers. I have been just trying to implement it."

Zalgiris Kaunas swingman Edmond Sumner only was on court for 14 minutes against EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, in which he had 17 points on 4 of 4 two-pointers and 2 0f 2 three-pointers, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 6 fouls drawn and a PIR of 28.

Sumner leads Zalgiris's victory

Sumner only was on court for 14 minutes, in which he had 17 points on 4-of-4 two-point shooting and 2-of-2 on three-pointers plus 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and 6 fouls drawn for a PIR of 28. He had 8 points in the fourth quarter but his favorite play was an assist to Arnas Butkevicius for a corner three-pointer that sealed the deal.

"My assist! As soon as I got back, threw a corner pass, Arnas hit the corner three," he said. "That was big."

Coach Andrea Trinchieri joked about his whereabouts after the game, as if Sumner had finally found himself.

"Where was he until now? This is what I just asked him, where have you been? Amazing game," he said. 

"My players put together a perfect effort. We never made open shots and this could make us feel depressed. And this can take a little bit of energy from us," Trinchieri said. "But the second half, whoever stepped on the court gave his maximum intensity, energy, hustle. And this is a great win. This is a very, very sweet win."

With this win, Zalgiris has a 2-0 record against Milan and will most likely need to win its two remaining games - against AS Monaco on the road and at home against Real Madrid - to reach the Play-In Showdown.

The Lithuanian champs' guard had his best game yet in the EuroLeague

Sumner helped keep Zalgiris's dream alive

Zalgiris Kaunas v EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (2024-03-28T18:00:00.000Z)

Barça Basket took a big step towards making the EuroLeague Playoffs by beating FC Bayern Basketball in Round 32.

Barcelona on the cusp of making playoffs after beating Bayern

FC Barcelona (21-11) took a big step towards securing a playoff berth in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague after [a clinical 79-87 win at FC Bayern Munich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/live-blog-fc-bayern-basketball-vs-fc-barcelona/), which came as a result of a cohesive team effort against shorthanded opposition.

With Devin Booker, Niels Giffey, Andy Obst and Danko Brankovic missing from the home team’s roster, Barcelona fired on all cylinders for three quarters before battling Bayern made a fight of it in the fourth.

### Barcelona got its work done early

Having won the opening period 19-25, Barca then steamrolled into a whopping 21-43 lead before Bayern trimmed its deficit to 30-47 at halftime. It was pretty much the same script in the third quarter, with the *Blaugrana* taking a 53-71 advantage into the home stretch. Only then did Bayern step up to the plate and cut the gap to 77-83 in the closing stages, but the hosts ran out of time to force what would have been a spectacular comeback.

A pair of giants take to the European stage bidding to restore winning-ways and revive their respective postseason aspirations. Two veteran Spanish stars could dominate in different ways, with Bayern hoping to control the paint through Serge Ibaka while Barça looks for orchestration from Ricky Rubio.

FC Bayern Munich-FC Barcelona | Round 32 Highlights | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Power forward Serge Ibaka, who played extended minutes at center in the absence of the towering Devin Booker, came up big for Bayern with 17 points and 12 rebounds, but his valiant solo effort was cancelled out by a flowing team work from Barca.

Among a crop of players who contributed for the visiting team, [Jabari Parker](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/jabari-parker/012745/) earned the player of the game accolade with 15 points and he summed up that hitting the ground running at Bayern was crucial for Barcelona.

“We were up against a very talented team and we had to get going at the beginning of the game,” Parker said in a flash post-game interview. “We had good energy and played good defense, so the offense kind of took care of itself.”

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ca" dir="ltr">𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐧 𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨̀𝐫𝐢𝐚, 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐜̧𝐚! 💙❤<br><br>Ens queden dues finals. Volem ser als play-offs i volem ser caps de sèrie 💪 <a href="https://t.co/WbnL8d5PNg">pic.twitter.com/WbnL8d5PNg</a></p>&mdash; Barça Basket (@FCBbasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket/status/1773462914571055502?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Head coach Roger Grimau added: “We had a great first half and a good third quarter. They pushed us hard in the fourth but we controlled the game and eventually won it. We moved the ball well and found some clear situations.”

### A big game on the way

Barcelona next play Maccabi Tel Aviv at Palau Blaugrana in the penultimate round of the regular season and [Willy Hernangomez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/willy-hernangomez/003196/), who racked up 9 points and 8 rebounds, succinctly summed up what the clash meant to Barcelona in its bid to secure a playoff berth.

Barcelona will be assured of finishing in the top six on Friday in the unlikely event that bottom team ALBA Berlin (5-26) wins at Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (19-12), but Hernangomez had his sights on what should be a titanic tussle with Maccabi. 

“It’s going to be like a final,” he commented. “I am really looking forward to it as we’re playing at home where the fans are like an extra man on the court.”

Willy Hernangomez spoke to the media after FC Barcelona beat FC Bayern Munich in Round 32 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Willy Hernangomez speaks post-Bayern win

Bayern head coach Pablo Laso acknowledged that his team was left with a mountain to climb after being blown away in the first half. “We played better offensively in the second half and made some shots, so we got back into the game,” said Laso. “However, we played a great team and they found solutions in the right moments.”

The FC Barcelona players come together after beating FC Bayern Munich in Round 32 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

The Spanish giant closed in on a top-six berth after a dominant performance in Munich

FC Bayern Munich v FC Barcelona (2024-03-28T19:30:00.000Z)

AS Monaco took another critical step to reach the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs by downing LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne 77-87 on the road in Round 32 on Thursday

Monaco dominates late for 77-87 W at ASVEL

<incrowd-live-blog id="660404b959f35bd260edcf7d" client-id="EUROLEAGUE" server="standard"></incrowd-live-blog><script src="https://live-blog.incrowdsports.com/index.js"></script>

EuroLeague Live Blog: LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne vs. AS Monaco.

The visitors used a 0-13 fourth-quarter charge to break open a tie game

Anadolu Efes Istanbul’s veteran duo of Shane Larkin and Will Clyburn stepped up as the two-time champion rolled past Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 76-97 for its first road win of 2024 to stay in contention for a spot in the Play-In Showdown. 

Larkin, Clyburn shined in Efes’s first road win of 2024

Anadolu Efes Istanbul’s veteran duo of Shane Larkin and Will Clyburn stepped up as the two-time champion rolled past Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 76-97 for its first road win of 2024 to stay in contention for a spot in the Play-In Showdown.

Larkin drained 5 three-pointers in scoring 28 points and Clyburn poured in 20 points to help Efes improve to 15-17 with its fourth win in the last five games. The win also upped the team’s road mark to 3-13, snapping an eight-game losing streak going back to December 7 at ALBA Berlin.

“We know what we are fighting for. Everybody is locked in, everybody is on the same page. We know what our ultimate goal is,” said Clyburn, who started strong in the game.

Larkin eventually took over the offensive responsibility.

“We have a veteran group. We have a lot of new guys but they have all grown during the season. We all understood the importance of this game from the very beginning. We came out intense on the defensive end and stayed focused and didn’t let their shooters get going, and got a big win,” said Larkin.

Shane Larkin put on a show in Vitoria-Gasteiz

25-year-old forward Ercan Osmani chipped in a career-high 15 points; EuroLeague rookie Tyrique Jones scored 8 points on breathtaking dunks and 4 rebounds; and fellow EuroLeague newcomer Justus Hollatz contributed 4 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists.

The offense stood strong for Efes, but the team’s third-quarter defense really changed the game, conceding just 8 points in the frame.

“We had to play really well on the offensive end because this team can get out in transition and use their speed, quickness, athleticism and shot-making ability. They’re pretty hard to guard. We had to control the ball on the offensive end,” said Larkin, who also had 2 of Efes’s 10 steals.

“We got a lot of steals on the defensive end. We were active with our hands and helping each other. And that is what will have to do. It will be about us coming out with intensity on the defensive end. If we can do that. Then we can do something special.”

With the likes of veteran leaders Larkin and Clyburn, Efes fans can still dream about the Play-In Showdown.

The two combined for 48 points in the victory

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2024-03-28T19:30:00.000Z)

Olympiacos BC completed a fourth-quarter comeback to defeat KK Partizan 69-74 in Round 32 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season.

Olympiacos rallies back to stun Partizan, 69-74

<incrowd-live-blog id="6604044ddc210b70a6f43d99" client-id="EUROLEAGUE" server="standard"></incrowd-live-blog><script src="https://live-blog.incrowdsports.com/index.js"></script>

Shaquielle McKissic of Olympiacos Piraeus looks to get past James Nunnally of Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in Round 32 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

The Reds turned the game on its head with an impressive fourth-quarter comeback

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade v Olympiacos Piraeus (2024-03-28T19:30:00.000Z)

Anadolu Efes SK routed Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 76-97 in Round 32 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season.

Efes routs Baskonia 76-97

<incrowd-live-blog id="660404831533483677f9fd79" client-id="EUROLEAGUE" server="standard"></incrowd-live-blog><script src="https://live-blog.incrowdsports.com/index.js"></script>

Tyrique Jones scored 8 points off the bench for Efes

The visitors pulled away for good with 13 unanswered points in the third quarter

Barça Basket improved to a 21-11 record by downing FC Bayern Munich 79-87 at BMW Park in Round 32 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season.

Barcelona cruises past Bayern, 79-87, as trio stands out

<incrowd-live-blog id="66040416c4a8cb5d4ea17eb0" client-id="EUROLEAGUE" server="standard"></incrowd-live-blog><script src="https://live-blog.incrowdsports.com/index.js"></script>

Jabari Parker of FC Barcelona is guarded by Nick Weiler-Babb of FC Bayern Munich in Round 32 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

The Blaugrana took advantage of several key players missing from Bayern's roster to earn an important win

Zalgiris Kaunas improved to 14-18 with an 87-73 victory over Olimpia Milano in Round 32 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season.

Zalgiris pushes past Milan, 87-73

<incrowd-live-blog id="660403cd1533483677f9fd75" client-id="EUROLEAGUE" server="standard"></incrowd-live-blog><script src="https://live-blog.incrowdsports.com/index.js"></script>

EuroLeague Live Blog: Zalgiris Kaunas vs. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan.

Keenan Evans ad Edmond Sumner combined for 37 points to pace the Lithuanian champs