AS Monaco vs. Maccabi Rishon LeZion

2019-20Regular SeasonRound 8

AS Monaco 77

Maccabi Rishon LeZion 75

November 20, 2019 CET: 18:45

Local time: 18:45 STADE LOUIS II

Monaco beats Rishon, punches Top 16 ticket

AS Monaco clinched its spot in the Top 16 by edging Maccabi Rishon LeZion 77-75 at home in Group A on Wednesday. Monaco improved to 5-3 in the standings while Rishon dropped to 1-7 and was mathematically eliminated from the Top 16 race. Paul Lacombe led the winners with 19 points, Norris Cole added 18, Eric Buckner had 16 and Yak Ouattara 13 for Monaco. Jordan Swing paced Rishon with 19 points, Johnathan Williams added 15 points and 11 rebounds, Alex Hamilton scored 14 and Frederic Bourdillon 11 for the visitors. Anthony Clemmons and Buckner helped Monaco to a 9-2 lead, but Williams and Bourdillon stepped up to put Rishon in charge, 15-19, after 10 minutes. A 9-0 run that Dee Bost capped with consecutive driving layups allowed Monaco to get a 40-33 lead at halftime. Bourdillon and Swing rallied Rishon to 53-55 margin late in the third quarter. Monaco took a 6-point lead early in the fourth, but Swing and Hamilton brought Rishon within 76-75 with 5 seconds left. Ouattara split free throws and Swing committed a fatal turnover in the final seconds.

Clemmons got Monaco going with a three-pointer and Buckner scored twice around the basket for an early 9-2 lead. Williams tried to change things with a put-back slam and Bourdillon added a corner triple to bring Rishon within 11-7. Williams scored down low and Hamilton added a driving layup in a 0-6 run that Adam Ariel capped with a jumper for an 11-13 Rishon lead. Lacombe hit a catch-and-shoot floater, but Bourdillon and Williams fueled another 0-6 run which helped the visitors to a 15-19 lead after 10 minutes. Buckner and Oz Blayzer traded layups early in the second quarter. Lacombe hit a jumper that made it 19-21. Hamilton scored again and got help from Swing to keep Rishon ahead, 25-28. Ouattara struck from downtown and Cole added a jumper that put Monaco in charge, 31-30. Hamilton kept pushing Rishon, but a jumper by Lacombe and a three-pointer by a red-hot Ouattara gave the hosts a 36-33 edge. Bost scored twice in penetration to fix the halftime score at 40-33.

Swing and Ariel each hit one from beyond the arc soon after the break. Buckner took over with a finger-roll layup and Lacombe scored in penetration to boost Monaco's lead to 44-39. Williams rescued Rishon with a one-handed slam and a jump hook, then Swing added a layup but Buckner and Lacombe kept Monaco in charge, 49-45. Bourdillon followed a triple with a layup-plus-foul to put Rishon in the lead, 49-51. Lacombe tried to change things for Monaco, but Swing and Blayzer kept the visitors ahead, 53-55. Cole followed a driving layup with a three-pointer and Ouattara beat the third-quarter buzzer with a layup that tied it at 60-60 after 30 minutes. Cole and Lacombe fueled a 6-0 run that Buckner capped with a layup for a 66-60 Monaco lead. Hamilton scored around the basket and Ariel hit a triple, but Norris singlehandedly kept the hosts in charge, 70-65. Williams dunked twice, getting help from Nimrod Tishman before Monaco called timeout at 73-71 with over 3 minutes left. Buckner split foul shots and Ouattara added a backdoor layup, but Hamilton brought Rishon within 76-73. Swing scored in penetration to make it a one-point game with 5 seconds left. Ouattara drew a foul with 3.6 seconds left but only hit his first attempt, however, Swing turned the ball over in the final seconds.

Pivotal performer

Paul Lacombe stayed on the floor more than any other Monaco player and had a decisive contribution. He finished the game with 19 points on 6-of-9 two-point shooting and 7-of-8 free throws plus 4 rebounds, 3 assists, a steal and 3 fouls drawn for a PIR of 21.

Game-changing moment

It all came down to the final 5 seconds, in which a driving layup by Jordan Swing brought Rishon within 76-75. Monaco called a timeout and Ouattara drew a foul with 3.6 seconds left. He split attempts, but Monaco's defense forced Swing to turn the ball over, sealing the outcome.

Stellar stat

Monaco outrebounded Rishon 40-29 in this game, which made the difference. The hosts pulled down 16 offensive boards, the second-best mark for the team in EuroCup history; it had 17 offensive rebounds against Segafredo Virtus Bologna earlier this season, on October 30.

Did you notice?

After hitting 7 of 8 two-point shots, Buckner had made 35 of his 41 two-point shots inside the arc. His current 85.4% would tie an all-time EuroCup record. The best two-point shooting percentage in EuroCup history belongs to Primoz Brezec of Krasnye Krylia, who scored 47 of 55 two-point shots (85.45%) in the 2010-11 season.

Next game

Both teams return to 7DAYS EuroCup action on Wednesday, December 11. Monaco visits already-eliminated ratiopharm Ulm. Rishon also plays on the road against MoraBanc Andorra.

Paul Lacombe - AS Monaco (photo Monaco) - EC19

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Eurocupbasketball.com

Referees: GKONTAS, SPIROS; PEERANDI, RAIN; KARTAL, ERSAN

Attendance: 1508

By Quarter	1	2	3	4
AS Monaco	15	25	20	17
Maccabi Rishon LeZion	19	14	27	15

End of Quarter	1	2	3	4
AS Monaco	15	40	60	77
Maccabi Rishon LeZion	19	33	60	75

AS Monaco

							Rebounds						Blocks		Fouls
#	Player	Min	Pts	2FG	3FG	FT	O	D	T	As	St	To	Fv	Ag	Cm	Rv	PIR
1	BOST, DEE	27:49	5	2/6	0/5	1/2	2	2	4	3	2	3		1	5	1	-4
5	CLEMMONS, ANTHONY	20:24	6	1/2	1/4	1/2		1	1	1	2	3			3	2	1
6	LACOMBE, PAUL	33:08	19	6/9		7/8	2	2	4	3	1	3			3	4	21
14	TILLIE, KIM	6:58						3	3						1		2
15	YEGUETE, WILFRIED	13:15		0/2			1	4	5		1	2			4	1	-1
23	BUCKNER, ERIC	23:53	16	7/8		2/6	3	4	7			1			4	3	16
24	OUATTARA, YAKUBA	29:14	13	3/5	2/7	1/2	4	2	6	1					2	1	11
30	COLE, NORRIS	28:55	18	5/10	2/6	2/3		2	2	3		4	1	1	3	3	9
32	SANE, LANDING	16:24			0/1		3	1	4	1		1			2	2	3
91	KOVACS, BENEDEK	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
	Team						1	4	5								5
	Totals	200:00	77	24/42	5/23	14/23	16	25	41	12	6	17	1	2	27	17	63
				57.1%	21.7%	60.9%

Head coach: OBRADOVIC, SASA

Min: Minutes played; Pts: Points; 2FG M-A: 2-point Field Goals (Made-Attempted); 3FG M-A: 3-point Field Goals (Made-Attempted); FT M-A: Free Throws (Made-Attempted); Rebounds: O (Offensive), D (Defensive), T (Total); As: Assists; St: Steals; To: Turnovers; Bl: Blocks (Fv: In Favor / Ag: Against); Fouls: Cm (Commited), Rv (Received); PIR: Performance Index Rating

Maccabi Rishon LeZion

							Rebounds						Blocks		Fouls
#	Player	Min	Pts	2FG	3FG	FT	O	D	T	As	St	To	Fv	Ag	Cm	Rv	PIR
1	MISHAN, LIAD	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
7	SWING, JORDAN	25:37	19	3/7	2/6	7/7	1	2	3	3		1		1	4	5	16
8	BOURDILLON, FREDERIC	29:52	11	1/2	2/4	3/3		2	2	2	2	2			4	5	13
9	PELED, TAL	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
11	ARIEL, ADAM	25:14	8	1/1	2/4										4	1	3
14	BLAYZER, OZ	18:08	4	1/2	0/3	2/2	1	2	3	1	1	5	1		2	2	1
18	KOZAHINOF, DANEL	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
19	WILLIAMS, JOHNATHAN	37:47	15	6/11		3/6	1	10	11	1		3	1		1	6	22
30	TISHMAN, NIMROD	23:23	4	2/4	0/2		1		1	1	3	2			3
41	DOVRAT, NOAM	4:30			0/1		1		1		1	1
42	HAMILTON, ALEX	35:29	14	3/5	0/1	8/12	3	3	6	7	1	2				7	26
55	SHEDLETSKY, OMRI	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
	Team							3	3			1					2
	Totals	200:00	75	17/32	6/21	23/30	8	22	30	15	8	17	2	1	18	26	83
				53.1%	28.6%	76.7%

Head coach: GOODES, GUY

Head Coaches

OBRADOVIC, SASA

AS Monaco

"I don't think that anybody can be satisfied with this game. We should give back the money to the fans, both teams. We knew it was going to be a game like this. Honestly, I don't like to be part of it. I like to run, jump aggressive basketball. This was basketball before you retire, that kind of basketball. The win is a win and hopefully, we are not going to play teams who play that kind of basketball in the future... I cannot blame my colleague [Goodes], he did everything he could do with this team. On the other hand, it is not nice. More or less, nobody got hurt out of this and we are in the Top 16, so those the two things which are really important for our confidence. These last two games, we will play without big pressure."

"The only thing that matters is the win. This was ugly basketball for both teams. Sometimes I feel bad, feeling part of this kind of basketball, but we won, and that's it. I am satisfied with a win. We are in the Top 16. That was the main goal of the day."

GOODES, GUY

Maccabi Rishon LeZion

"First of all, I want to congratulate Monaco for the win. I think it was a tough match for both teams. Both teams fought and in the end, a decision here, a decision there, one shot here, one shot there, a turnover here, a turnover there decided the game. But I give my team a lot of credit. We came short with players and one big man, but we really fought. We fought like a team and this is the way I want to see my team. For sure, we can play much better on offense and defense, but I am really proud of my players, and the way they fought. Once again congratulations to Monaco for winning the game."

Players

LACOMBE, PAUL

AS Monaco

"We had the same game in their home, struggled all the way, but the difference was that this time, we were at home and that allowed us to win this game. We didn't have a transition game, running game. We were struggling all game long and I think we are really lucky to win this game. We want to do more and go as far as we can in the EuroCup. We know that the Top 16 in January will be harder than the regular season, for sure. We have qualified and are happy, this is what we take from this game tonight."

BUCKNER, ERIC

AS Monaco

"It was a tough game. We expected them to come out and be tough. We just had to come out and try to match their intensity. It was a close game but we won, so that is the most important thing. I am not satisfied with the win. We should have played a lot better. Defensively, we were really bad. We have to get back in here and practice, work, and get better."

BOURDILLON, FREDERIC

Maccabi Rishon LeZion

"We lost three big men in three weeks; one left the team and two are injured. One of our main players, Darryl Monroe, was not here, and that's two narrow losses in a row in the EuroCup. Against Bologna, we were up by 17 and lost at the end and this game against Monaco, we were tied most of the game and like coach said, we missed some shots and the ball was not on our side in this game. It was a huge game for us, with seven-eight players against Monaco, which basically had 12 players. The key was to pack the paint - limit them to score in the paint and make them take three-point shots. And it worked. We were +4 in the fourth quarter and won the third quarter. It was a good game for us. For most of us, it is our first EuroCup season and we are learning in every game. It will pay off in the Israeli League."

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