Mike James doubtful for Game 2 against Le Mans: « He’s been injured in the hand since the Final Four »

Mike James wasn’t on the court Wednesday evening during AS Monaco’s victory against Le Mans (76-69) in the first game of the Betclic ELITE quarter-finals. And he might still be missing for the return match this Friday in Sarthe.

Roca Team without their leader in Game 1

Three days after their EuroLeague final defeat against Fenerbahçe, the Monegasques started their playoff campaign with a controlled home victory. But this result was achieved without their playmaker, Mike James. Not listed on the game sheet, the regular season’s top scorer couldn’t take his place.

« He’s been injured in the hand since the Final Four, » stated coach Vassilis Spanoulis in the press conference, as quoted by Nice-Matin. « He has a hematoma, we’ll see if he’ll be present in Le Mans, it’s 50/50. »

This injury comes at a bad time for the Roca Team, who are seeking a second national title after falling short in the Leaders Cup, French Cup, and EuroLeague this season. While Monaco showed great resources in dominating MSB without their American star, his potential absence for Game 2 could shuffle the cards in this best-of-three series.

See you Friday evening at Antarès to find out if Mike James can help his teammates secure their spot in the semi-finals.