Monaco holds off Promitheas, stays unbeaten

AS Monaco stayed undefeated in Group A by downing Promitheas Patras 74-77 on the road on Wednesday. Monaco improved to 2-0 in the standings while Promitheas dropped to 1-1. Dylan Ennis led the winners with 19 points. Eric Buckner added 17 on 8-of-8 two-point shooting while Anthony Clemmons had 13 for Monaco. Octavius Ellis led Promitheas with 17 points on 7-of-7 two-point shooting. Dimitris Agravanis added 14 while Oleksandr Lypovyy had 10 for the hosts. Clemmons, Buckner and Wilfried Yeguete helped Monaco get a 14-22 after 10 minutes. Monaco, powered by its big men, boosted its margin to 16-34 soon after that. Agravanis and Lypovyy helped Promitheas cut its deficit to 29-42 at halftime. Chris Babb and Robert Lowery brought Promitheas within 48-52 late in the third quarter but Clemmons helped Monaco stay up 51-59 when it ended. The hosts managed to get within 70-72 in the next-to-last minute but a jump hook by Buckner and free throws by Clemmons sealed the outcome.

Ennis got Monaco going with a layup and a jumper but Ellis and Agravanis gave Promitheas a 5-4 lead. Paul Lacombe and Buckner scored around the basket, making the guests regain a 7-10 lead. Agravanis buried a three-pointer but Buckner answered with a one-handed alley-oop slam, igniting a 0-7 run which Clemmons capped with a triple, good for a 10-17 Monaco margin. Agravanis and Leonidas Kaselakis tried to change things for Promitheas but Yeguete scored twice down low to keep Monaco way ahead, 14-22, after 10 minutes. A three-pointer by Ennis made it a double-digit lead, 14-25, early in the second quarter. Ivan Buva and Kim Tillie boosted Monaco's margin to 16-34. Agravanis stepped up with a three-point play and Lypovyy struck twice from downtown, getting Promitheas within 32-42 at the half. Ennis took over after the break with a jumper and a couple of three-pointers, singlehandedly keeping Monaco way ahead, 39-52. Babb answered from downtown and Lowery added a wild layup in a 9-0 run that brought Promitheas within 48-52. Clemmons tallied 5 points that gave Monaco fresh air at 51-59 after 30 minutes. Back-to-back dunks by Ellis before a triple by Hall made it a three-point game, 58-61, with under 8 minutes left. Bost and Buckner rescued Monaco with 7 quick points, then a big basket by Jaleel O'Brien restored a double-digit Monaco lead, 59-70. Kaselakis stepped up with 5 points and Babb struck from downtown in an 8-0 Promitheas run that made the guests call timeout, 68-70, with 1:53 left. Clemmons and Kaselakis exchanged jumpers and a jump hook by Buckner gave Monaco a 70-74 edge with 37.7 seconds to go. Clemmons collected a key steal and sealed the outcome from the foul line.

Pivotal performer

Clemmons stepped up for Monaco in the most crucial moments, at the end of the third quarter and especially in the final minute, getting a critical steal and drawing 3 fouls to hit enough free throws to save the day. He finished the game with 13 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 4 fouls drawn, all in 21 minutes off the bench.

Game-changing moment

Monaco led 14-18 late in the first quarter when it decided to get its frontcourt involved. Big men Buva, Yeguete, Tillie and Buckner combined for 11 points in a 2-16 run that broke the game open, 16-34. Monaco controlled the game from that moment until the final buzzer.

Stellar stat

Monaco was really solid under the boards, outrebounding Promitheas by 29-36. The guests only allowed 6 offensive rebounds in the entire game, grabbing 29 defensive rebounds. That is, Monaco grabbed 82.8% of the rebounds on its own rim, which definitely allowed the guests to control the pace of the game.

Did you notice?

Even when Promitheas had the higher performance index rating, Monaco won the game. Promitheas had a PIR of 82, limiting Monaco to just 77. Turnovers (10-13), fouls committed (20-26) and blocked shots (2-0) allowed Promitheas to win in this category but again, Monaco walked away with a win and that is what really matters.

Next game:

Both teams return to 7DAYS EuroCup action on Wednesday, October 16. Monaco visits Maccabi Rishon LeZion at 18:30 CET. A little bit later, at 19:00 CET, Promitheas visits ratiopharm Ulm