Monaco falls to Dubai in EuroLeague and jeopardizes their play-in chances
Roca Team suffered a particularly costly defeat against Dubai Basketball (91-101) during the 35th round of EuroLeague. This match, relocated to Zetra Arena in Sarajevo due to the conflict in the Middle East, puts Monaco in a very delicate situation in the standings. With a record of 19 wins and 16 losses, Monaco sees Dubai closing in dangerously with 18 wins and 17 losses, along with Maccabi Tel-Aviv.
Insufficient collective performance against Musa’s excellence
Dzanan Musa was the driving force behind this Dubai win, putting together a complete, high-level performance: 25 points, 10 assists, 4 rebounds, and a 38 rating. The Bosnian forward set the tone offensively, well supported by McKinley Wright (23 points, 7 assists) and Mfiondu Kabengele (18 points, 9 rebounds), who controlled the paint.
On the AS Monaco Basket side, despite a shortened nine-man rotation — with Mike James and Daniel Theis out — several players tried to keep things together. Alpha Diallo and Khevarrius Hayes led the scoring with 17 points apiece, while Jaron Blossomgame and Nikola Mirotic added 15 each. Matthew Strazel orchestrated with 13 assists despite just 7 points, and Nemanja Nedovic chipped in 11.
The game followed a familiar script for Monaco this season. A slow start saw them fall behind early (18–24 after one), before showing their ability to respond — clawing back to 47–47 at halftime, sparked in part by a three from Élie Okobo.
A fatal finish for European ambitions
e pattern repeated itself in the third quarter. AS Monaco Basket slipped again, this time trailing by nine (61–70), before mounting yet another response to keep things within reach heading into the fourth (71–73).
But this time, there was no final push. Missed shots piled up, defensive stops never really came, and Dubai took control for good — opening the gap to 83–91 with three minutes left, effectively sealing it.
That’s the kind of loss that stings twice. Against a direct competitor, it tightens the margin even more in the play-in race. With just three games left — against ASVEL Basket (April 8), FC Barcelona Bàsquet (April 10), and then on the road at Hapoel Tel Aviv B.C. (April 17) — there’s no room left for missteps.
At this point, it’s simple: every game becomes a must-win if Monaco wants to keep its European run alive.
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