Monaco Falls Short in First Playoff Clash Against Olympiacos Due to Poor Shooting
Mike James was dominant even in the loss, with an eval at 30 Photo Credit: @Sébastien Grasset
The sequence that perfectly summarized the entire match came with three minutes remaining at the Peace and Friendship Stadium. Nemanja Nedovic, one of Monaco’s best shooters, missed a wide-open 3-points attempt from 45 degrees. On the very next possession, newly crowned EuroLeague MVP Sasha Vezenkov (20 points) drained his 3-points shot from the logo, sending the stadium into a frenzy.
The stark contrast in outside shooting proved to be the decisive factor in this Game 1 quarter-final clash between Monaco and Olympiacos. The Greeks connected on 10 of 27 attempts for 37% from beyond the arc, while Monaco managed just 4 of 28 for a dismal 14% – a performance far below their season average of 35%.
Monaco’s Shooting Woes Expose Deeper Issues
With their shooting touch completely absent, AS Monaco struggled to establish any rhythm. Matthew Strazel was held scoreless, missing all seven of his 3-points attempts, while Jaron Blossomgame (10 points) went 0-for-4 from deep and Alpha Diallo (15 points, 7 rebounds, 4 steals) managed just 1-of-5. Surprisingly, Terry Tarpey emerged as Monaco’s most reliable outside shooter at 2-of-4, finishing with 8 points and 5 rebounds for the third-best efficiency rating (10) on the team.
Tarpey’s solid performance highlighted Monaco’s improved depth, as the Roca Team utilized 10 players for the first time in EuroLeague in quite some time. However, this pales in comparison to Olympiacos‘ luxury of leaving Frank Ntilikina and Monte Morris on the bench – a testament to the Greek squad that finished first in the regular season for the third time in four years.
Ball movement 🔄#RocaTeam #EveryGameMatters pic.twitter.com/LoW1B2lnBS
— AS Monaco Basket 🇲🇨 (@ASMonaco_Basket) April 28, 2026
Beyond the shooting struggles, Monaco’s lack of intensity became increasingly apparent as the game progressed. Head coach Manuchar Markoishvili acknowledged this after the defeat, telling EuroLeague TV: « We didn’t adjust at halftime, we were even less physical than in the first half. Before we judge anything, the best thing to do is go back home, analyze, then work, to have better ideas for the next game. Congratulations to Olympiacos, but for sure we have to do better. »
The revenge factor also played a significant role, as Olympiacos sought payback for the 2025 Final Four and the three subsequent meetings, all won by Monaco. Daniel Theis (6 points, 6 rebounds) had hinted at this motivation before the game, saying: « We’ve played them so many times recently. I think they don’t like facing us. » Mike James (19 points, 7 assists) had responded confidently: « We have a long history with Olympiacos, it’s maybe the team we’ve played the most in EuroLeague… I’m sure it will be a battle, but we’ll be ready. We have our chances. »
Game 2 remains Thursday at the Pirée, where Monaco must prove their pre-game confidence wasn’t misplaced. The stakes couldn’t be higher – qualification to the Final Four, which will be held in Athens and is already sold out, providing even more motivation for the Greek side.
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