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Julien Mahé Blasts Monaco’s Attitude: « Humility and Respect Can Go a Long Way »
Having been beaten on home court 48 hours earlier, AS Monaco gave Nanterre no chance in Game 3 of the Betclic ELITE semifinals on Saturday (83-61), leaving JSF head coach Julien Mahé particularly disappointed — and more than a little irritated — after the game.
Photo Credit : Julie Dumélié
The Roca Team responded like champions on Saturday at the Palais des Sports Maurice Thorez. Caught off guard by Nanterre in the Principality on Thursday, Monaco showed a completely different face on Saturday to claim Game 3 (83-61) and retake the lead in this best-of-5 semifinal against Betclic ELITE (2-1).
With 9 steals and 8 blocks on the board, and relentless defensive pressure, Sergii Gladyr’s men gave a sloppy Nanterre side virtually no room to breathe for most of the game. A lack of toughness and focus that JSF head coach Julien Mahé was quick to highlight after the final buzzer.
« They were far, far superior to us, first and foremost in terms of intensity. We were unable to match it, and their defensive aggression clearly prevented us from playing our game. »
A clear and damning assessment from the former SQBB coach, who continued: « We had far too many lapses in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. When you lose 16 balls in 20 minutes, it’s impossible to play […]. Tonight we made a lot of bad decisions. »
Candid about the gap in level between the two teams in Game 3, Julien Mahé still had some regrets following his players’ strong performance two days earlier on the French Riviera. « The one area where we could have bothered them was chasing down defensive rebounds. And even that, we didn’t do well. That’s the one thing that could have planted a seed of doubt in their minds and fired up the crowd. Because on a half-court basis, the physical impact and intensity they bring is simply too much for us. »
Trying to explain what made the difference on Saturday night in front of Monaco’s fans, Julien Mahé pointed to his players’ inexperience at this level of competition and the unique demands of the playoff format. « We have a lot of young players, and they’re learning. That’s also what makes a series like this so difficult, especially in a best-of-5. You have to be able to replicate your performances. On the other side, they have very high-level players who can do it every two days — which obviously isn’t the case for us. »
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A gracious loser, the former Elite 2 Coach of the Year couldn’t help but call out the attitude of some of the visiting players, in remarks reported by L’Equipe. Notably Élie Okobo (6’3″, 28), who was jeered by fans during the game in response to certain celebrations that didn’t sit well with the Nanterre faithful.
« They thoroughly deserved their win […]. I have a lot of respect for their talent, but I don’t endorse everything […]. Humility and respect can go a long way — it would show a little more class. »
Confident in his players’ ability to bounce back in the next game, Julien Mahé looked ahead with ambition. « That was the truth of one game. But we’re in a series, so I hope Monday’s truth (Game 4) will be very different. »
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Before wrapping up with what could allow Nanterre to force a decisive Game 5 on the Rock, with a spot in the French championship final on the line. « We need to put in the ingredients that will get us back to running the floor and playing collective basketball. That can be our strength. We did it three days ago and we’ll do everything to do it again. »
The Monegasques, expected to face a hostile welcome on Monday at 8:00 PM, again in Nanterre, have been warned.
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