Kemba Walker and Jordan Loyd are still missing, but Mike James with 21 points and Elie Okobo with 19 led a balanced effort against LDLC ASVEL as the Monegasques got their first big win for the French Betclic Elite.

Alpha Diallo added 16 points and Donatas Motiejunas had 15 as Monaco finished the game with an 87-79 win after a 9-2 run in the last two minutes of the game that gave them an 87-76 advantage before Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot made a three for the final score.

Joffrey Lauvergne with 21 points was the leader of the losing side, Nando De Colo added 15 points and former Monaco and Panathinaikos guard Paris Lee had 14.

After this result, Monaco and Paris are the only two teams at 4-0, Cholet stays unbeaten at 2-0 having two games less due to their obligations in the Basketball Champions League qualifiers, while Bourg-en-Bresse, ASVEL, and Nanterre follow at 3-1.

Meanwhile, Dijon stole the show with a massive 94-54 win over Mets 92, the former team of Victor Wembanyama which dropped to 0-4.

LNB Pro A 2023-2024 Round 4 results

JL Bourg – BCM Gravelines Dunkerque 90-82
ADA Blois – Nanterre 92 78-89
Le Mans – Le Portel 73-67
Limoges CSP – Paris Basketball 65-83
Roanne – Chalon 82-93
JDA Dijon – Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans 92 94-54
ASVEL – Monaco 79-87
Cholet – Nancy (postponed)
Strasbourg – Saint-Quentin (postponed)

PHOTO CREDIT: EuroLeague

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ASVEL was impressive as four teams stayed unbeaten in the third round of the French top division.

Newcomer from the NBA Frank Jackson scored 20 points as the Tony Parker-owner team got the 101-66 road win over La Portel.

Meanwhile, Paris also got an impressive 112-71 home win over Le Mans and together with Monaco and ASVEL they share the top of the standings with a 3-0 record.

Basketball Champions League winner T.J.Shorts with 25 points led Paris to the triumph.

Cholet is also unbeaten having one game less due to their obligations in the Basketball Champions League qualifiers.

Betclic Elite Round 3

Monaco – Saint-Quentin 77-75
Nancy – Dijon 66-56
Nanterre – Roanne 83-77
Blois – Bourg-en-Bresse 102-93
Gravelines-Dunkerque – Chalon/Saône 81-83
Boulogne-Levallois – Limoges 67-90
Le Portel – Lyon-Villeurbanne 66-101
Paris – Le Mans 112-71

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It was not an easy win, but it was spectacular. Monaco got its third win of the season in the national competition. Sasa Obradovic’s team was saved by Mike James against Saint-Quentin. It was Mike’s game-winner that sealed the deal in the final seconds 77-75.

Monaco was down as much as 12 points late in the third quarter (57-45), but Mike James and the rest of the crew managed to pull off a miraculous win in the fourth quarter, and the hero was James who finished the game with 19 points.

Look at the final seconds of the game.

LET – HIM – COOK

MIKE WITH A GAME-WINNER!!! pic.twitter.com/iRSMcOkOw9

— AS Monaco Basket EN (@ASMBasket_EN) September 26, 2023

Elie Okobo also added 19 points, while Jaron Blossomgame had 12. On the other side Mathis Dossou Yovo had 15 points.

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AS Monaco crushed Elan Chalon 104 – 68 to register its second win over two games through the 2023-24 French League.

Jaron Blossongame scored 17 points, Elie Okobo and Alpha Diallo had 15 points apiece while Petro Cornelie delivered 13 points plus 10 rebounds for Monaco.

Mike James contributed 12 points, four assists plus four rebounds and John Brown dropped 12 points of his own in a very balanced and powerful effort by Monaco, especially on the offensive end. The defending champs were unstoppable from start to finish, never letting their feet off the brake.

Jermaine Love (16 points) and Aleksej Nikolic (11 points, seven assists) scored in double figures for Chalon.

On Saturday, Monaco’s fellow EuroLeague side ASVEL Villeurbanne prevailed over Gravelines Dunkerque 79 – 74 on the road, behind 21 points and seven assists by Nando De Colo.

Betclic Elite Round 2

Strasbourg – Limoges 80 – 87
Saint Quentin- Paris 65 – 81
Roanne – Nancy 107 – 80
Le Mans – Blois 110 – 96
Bourg en Bresse – Boulogne Levallois 94 – 73
Gravelines Dunkerque – Villeurbanne 74 – 79
Nanterre – Le Portel 109 – 88
Dijon – Cholet 60 – 62
Monaco – Elan Chalon 68 – 104

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Wrapping up Round 1 of France’s Betclic Elite LNB Pro A Regular Season, LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne prevailed, 89-75, over Le Mans in Astroballe Sunday.

In his first appearance since tearing the ACL in his right knee early in the 2022-23 season, Joffrey Lauvergne went for 18 points, eight rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and one steal. Nando De Colo added 17 points and newcomer Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot had 16 points. Edwin Jackson and David Lighty did not suit up for the team coached by T.J. Parker.

Building a double-digit advantage in the first quarter, ASVEL never looked back and confidently went up to 1-0. The comfortable lead reduced to eight points with two minutes on the clock did not mount a real danger. Nate Mason with 13 points was the top scorer for the visitors.

New-look Paris logged a home win, 81-64, against JDA Dijon, earlier Sunday. T.J. Shorts II combined 19 points with five assists, three rebounds, and two steals. More action with SIG Strasbourg defeating Nanterre 92, 71-57.

The top-tier division of France launched the 2023-24 Regular Season yesterday. Jumping in the action, defending champion AS Monaco picked up a win on the road.

Betclic Elite Round 1

Cholet – Roanne 90-86
SLUC Nancy – Elan Chalon 92-83
ESSM Le Portel – JL Bourg 66-99
Metropolitans 92 – Saint-Quentin BB 69-73
ADA Blois – BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque 81-73
Limoges CSP – AS Monaco 59-72
Paris – JDA Dijon 81-64
SIG Strasbourg – Nanterre 92 71-57
LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne – Le Mans 89-75

Photo Credit: EuroleagueBasketball.net

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Behind a safe lead most of the way, AS Monaco prevailed, 72-59, against Limoges CSP in Palais des Sports de Beaublanc on Saturday.

Launching the 2023-24 campaign, Elie Okobo drew up a game-high 16 points with 6/12 from the field in Round 1 of France’s Betclic Elite LNB Pro A Regular Season. Jaron Blossomgame added 13 points, seven rebounds, and four assists en route for a game-high efficiency rating of 22.

Kemba Walker, the biggest move of the summer, did not suit up for the opener. Combining injuries with restrictions on foreign players in the lineup and fatigue from competing in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, Jordan Loyd, Mouhammadou Jaiteh, Donatas Motiejunas, and Donta Hall were out as well.

The team coached by Sasa Obradovic, defending champion in France, is set for four more domestic contests, before visiting Valencia in Round 1 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season, on October 6.

Frank Mason III jumps in with 22 points

The biggest highlight among the remaining games of the opening day was former Kansas standout Frank Mason III pairing 22 points with six assists. He powered SLUC Nancy to the win, 92-83, over Elan Chalon.

Canadian forward Isiaha Mike poured in 21 points behind 9/10 field goals as JL Bourg blew out Le Portel, 99-66, in Le Chaudron.

In his first official game in Europe, Robert Woodard II fired in 20 points for ADA Blois in the 81-73 victory opposite BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque.

Elsewhere, Cholet topped Roanne, 90-86. and Saint-Quentin BB used a late rally to beat Metropolitans 92, 73-69.

Betclic Elite Round 1

Cholet – Roanne 90-86
SLUC Nancy – Elan Chalon 92-83
ESSM Le Portel – JL Bourg 66-99
Metropolitans 92 – Saint-Quentin BB 69-73
ADA Blois – BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque 81-73
Limoges CSP – AS Monaco 59-72
Paris – JDA Dijon (17/9)
SIG Strasbourg – Nanterre 92 (17/9)
LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne – Le Mans (17/9)

Photo Credit: EuroleagueBasketball.net

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After a season during which their games were streamed on the NBA APP and fans in the USA learned the club’s name because of superstar prospect Victor Wembanyama, the Metropolitans 92 faced a great deal of uncertainty regarding whether they will be able to play in the 2023-24 French League.

According to a piece by BeBasket, the Mets were in danger of missing Sunday’s (23/7) deadline to officially register for the new French League season, before securing the necessary funds to do so. “We will continue, we will have a team with a budget of 5 million euros and more,” said Luc Monnet, the chairman of the board of directors of BBSD (Boulogne-Billancourt Sports Development), the owner of Metropolitans.

While the Mets received certain revenues from buyouts in the cases of Wembanyama and Bilal Coulibaly (the 7th overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft), a great increase in jersey sales (because of Wemby) and sold-out games in big arenas (like the Roland-Garros), the club still needed an additional sum of two million euros to place its registration for the Betclic ELITE League.

All these after the Wembanyama-led Mets finished 2022-23 in second place in the French League standings and made it all the way to the Finals where they were eliminated by EuroLeague powerhouse AS Monaco.

A key reason behind the Mets’ financial problems was that EuroCup didn’t extend an invitation to the club, something that put an end to discussions with potential investors.

The Mets may have solved the matter of their participation in next season’s domestic championship but still have a mountain to climb. Only Lahaou Konate remains from the 2022-23 roster while coach Vincent Collet is expected to be busy with the French national team in the 2023 World Cup until the mid of September and his return to the club is questionable. The new season in France begins on September 16.

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The level of the French championship has never touched highs like the ones lived in this moment. A EuroLeague powerhouse like AS Monaco, high-level players in teams like ASVEL, SIG Strasbourg, JL Bourg-en-Bresse, and others, without mentioning the impact of Victor Wembanyama.

That’s why a very lucrative TV contract was announced as SKWEEK and the L’Équipe channel will broadcast the LNB Betclic Élite until 2030. As reported by L’Équipe itself, the French league will get 2.5 million euros per year during a seven-season period, starting in 2023-24.

The TV contract stipulates that the entire LNB Betclic Élite regular season and playoffs, as well as the other French competitions like the Leaders Cup and All-Star Game. In the 2022-23 season, AS Monaco won the league by beating Victor Wembanyama’s Metropolitans 92 3-0 in the LNB Finals series. Beating JL Bourg-en-Bresse, ASVEL won the 2023 Leaders Cup instead.

𝗟𝗔 𝗕𝗘𝗧𝗖𝗟𝗜𝗖 𝗘𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗘 𝗔𝗥𝗥𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗦𝗨𝗥 𝗦𝗞𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗞

Fiers de vous annoncer qu’à partir de la saison prochaine, vous pourrez retrouver le meilleur du basket français 𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆́𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒆́ sur la plateforme SKWEEK TV, et ce pour les 7 prochaines… pic.twitter.com/LGBtETTpf3

— SKWEEK (@skweektv) June 29, 2023

PHOTO CREDIT: AS Monaco Basket

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AS Monaco is the 2022-23 French League champion. Finals MVP Jordan Loyd and Jaron Blossongame scored 22 points apiece, as La Roca team beat Victor Wembanyama’s Boulogne-Metropolitans 85 – 92 on the road to sweep the series 3-0 and win the title for the first time in club history.

Wembanyama had 22 points and seven rebounds in his last game in Europe and one week before he attends the 2023 NBA Draft in Chicago to be selected first by the San Antonio Spurs. TaShawn Thomas scored 20 points while Bilal Coulibaly, another NBA prospect, dropped eight points.

The Mets actually led 81 – 79 with five minutes to play but Monaco had the final say. Elie Okobo put his team ahead and Loyd hit a big triple for the 85 – 88 with 55 seconds remaining as the Monegasque side retained their lead to celebrate the title.

A historic night at Roland Garros

It was a historic game for Wembanyama and French basketball, which was held in Roland Garros tennis stadium, converted to a basketball court with a capacity of 15.000 fans.

The usual venue of the Mets, the Arena Marcel Cerdan Sports Palace, has a 4.000 seats capacity.

Fans sang “Merci, Wemby” as the hugely popular Wembanyama waved and clapped at them.

“I’m sorry for the fans who love to see a show,” Wembanyama said on live television after the game. “Of course, I’m proud of what I’ve managed to do along with my coach Vincent Collet, in bringing the team to the finals. But I’m not satisfied.”

Sacramento Kings’ governor Vivek Ranadive was among the spectators with former King Chima Moneke playing for Monaco.

Good to see you boss!!! pic.twitter.com/dN60DBCb4L

— Chima Moneke (@Chimdogg_) June 15, 2023

However, Ranadive was also there for Wembanyama’s teammate Bilal Coulibaly who has also declared for the NBA draft.

Speaking also to French television, Ranadive said that Wembanyama is “amazing” but that “I’m also excited about Bilal. Young guy, lot of skills, so French basketball is in great shape.”

The post AS Monaco sweeps Wembanyama’s Mets to win first-ever French League title appeared first on Eurohoops.

Overcoming a sluggish start and Victor Wembanyama, AS Monaco logged a 2-0 lead in France’s Betclic Elite LNB Pro A Finals.

La Roca Team gained separation in the fourth quarter for the win, 95-88, in Salle Gaston Medecin Monday.

Wembanyama, 19, was slowed down by foul trouble in Game 2 of the best-of-five series. Limited to 30 minutes, he poured 17 points with 7/13 from the field. Stuffing the stat sheet with seven rebounds, four assists, three blocks, and two steals, an improved performance compared to Game 1. The Mets avoided a second straight blowout loss but ran out of gas in the fourth quarter.

The team coached by Sasa Obradovic fell into a double-digit hole in the first quarter but led by one point at the break. Jordan Loyd packing 23 points to go with six assists, three rebounds, and two steals paved the way. Chima Moneke and Jaron Blossomgame were left out of the lineup due to squad restrictions on foreign players.

The lock for the top pick of the 2023 NBA draft, heading to the San Antonio Spurs, will enjoy homecourt advantage as his side switches to Stade Roland Garros for Game 3 coming up Thursday. A potential win would force Game 4 in the same famous venue. Game 5, if necessary, would decide the championship in Monaco with Game 5 next Tuesday, 20 June.

French Federation of Basketball president Jean-Pierre Siutat and Prince Albert of Monaco were both in attendance for Game 3.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

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While the LNB Finals are currently on, with AS Monaco being up 1-0 against Victor Wembanyama’s Metropolitans 92, ASVEL is already planning next season starting with departures. One of them concerns the 34-year-old French shooting guard Antoine Diot, who left the club after four years.

After winning two French championships with Tony and TJ Parker’s side in back-to-back fashion, in fact, the former Valencia player decided to join Chorale Roanne for the next two seasons in the LNB. He becomes the second signing of the summer for the 11th-seeded team in the latest French league after Kellan Grady, following Ronald March’s departure to Prometey.

Playing in the EuroLeague with three different French teams (Le Mans, SIG Strasbourg, and ASVEL), he has been averaging 4.5 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in seven seasons. This past year, he could contribute to the black-and-white side with only 3.3 points per game in 25 appearances.

“We needed an experienced player to supervise young players and Antoine is the right person. In Roanne, he will find more playing time. When we saw what he is still capable of producing in the LNB Playoffs with ASVEL, it was rather interesting for us. Antoine still has at least two great seasons ahead of him”, the head coach of Roanne Jean-Denys Choulet commented on Diot’s acquirement.

Antoine Diot est un joueur de la @ChoraleRoanne
Après 4 saisons avec @LDLCASVEL, l’international tricolore a paraphé un contrat de 2⃣ ans pour venir jouer un rôle majeur sur les postes 1 et 2
Le communiqué officiel https://t.co/9DNhELzA0P#ChoraleNation pic.twitter.com/oVKzgstXOg

— Chorale Roanne Basket (@ChoraleRoanne) June 10, 2023

PHOTO CREDIT: Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

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Seeking the first LNB Pro A championship in team history, AS Monaco made short work of Metropolitans 92 Saturday.

Labeled as the favorite to win France’s Betclic Elite Playoffs, the team coached by Sasa Obradovic produced a dominating performance for the 87-64 victory against Victor Wembanyama’s Metropolitans 92 in Game 1 of the best-of-five championship series.

Wembanyama, 19, was held to eight points, seven rebounds, two blocks, and two assists lasting 26 minutes in Salle Gaston Medecin. Leading the league with 17.7 points and 10.1 rebounds per Playoffs game up to the Finals debut, playing time was limited after the break with the Mets resting him ahead of Game 2 since the lead ballooned over 30 points in the first half.

Promising forward, a potential second-round pick in the 2023 NBA draft, Armel Traore tallied a game-high 15 points in the losing effort for the team coached by Vincent Collet.

For La Roca Team, Alpha Diallo recorded a team-high 14 points and Mike James added 12 points. Chima Moneke and Donta Hall were the players sitting out due to squad restrictions regarding foreign players.

Roland Garros to host Game 3 and potentially Game 4

Game 2, keeping the series at Monaco’s home, follows Monday. Switching to Mets hosting in Stade Roland Garros, Game 3 is scheduled for Thursday, 15 June, and Game 4, if necessary, would be on Saturday, 17 June. If the series knotted at 2-2, deciding Game 5 will take place in Salle Gaston Medecin, Thursday, 20 June, two days before the draft.

Wembanyama, 19, is expected to be selected by the San Antonio Spurs with the first overall pick. Early plans are already in place for his potential participation in the NBA Summer League, either in Sacramento or Las Vegas in early July. The packed offseason will later send the French prodigy to represent his country in the FIBA World Cup in Asia.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

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The young superstar and the future number-one pick in the NBA draft, Victor Wembanyama is heading to the French Betclic Elite finals where he will face Monaco.

Metropolitans managed to get the crucial win in Game 4 of the semifinals against ASVEL, Wembanyama’s last year team, in a dramatic finish (71-69).

Wembayama’s new team will have a chance to become a champion for the first time in club history as they have never been to the finals before.

The French phenomenon had a big role in his team’s victory as he recorded 15 points and 8 rebounds in 33 minutes, hitting some big-time shots like this one in the fourth quarter.

Wemby with the game on the linepic.twitter.com/7oIZluv44r

— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) June 4, 2023

Barry Brown led the way with 18 points, while Bilal Coulibaly added 16.

For defending champions ASVEL, a disappointing season comes to an end without any trophies. In the final game of the season, Retin Obasohan had 18 points and 6 rebounds.

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In the lead from start to finish, including multiple peaks with an advantage larger than ten points, AS Monaco completed the three-game sweep over JL Bourg with a win, 85-71, in Ekinox Saturday.

The latest success for the team coached by Sasa Obradovic earned a spot in the championship series of France’s Betclic ELITE LNB Pro A.

Connecting 9/17 field goals, Donatas Motiejunas scored 22 points to match his individual high for the 2022-23 season. The Lithuanian center added seven rebounds and two assists in Game 3 of the Semifinals best-of-five series.

Jordan Loyd, Elie Okobo, and Mike James followed with 12 points each. The latter netting a coast-to-coast buzzer-beater to end the first half delivered a huge blow to the comeback bid of the hosts. In the second half, La Roca Team eventually restored a double-digit cushion for the knockout.

Mike James beats the buzzer in style as Monaco settles in a four-point lead at the break #PlayoffsBetclicELITEpic.twitter.com/dpQCKBJSAB

— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) June 3, 2023

Playing at home in a Semifinals game of France’s top-flight division for the first time in team history, Bourg fell short and was eliminated. Ghanaian center Amida Brimah, an NCAA champion with Connecticut in 2014, set his season-high at 16 points and went for 15 points in the latest losing effort. Jordan Floyd shared the team-high 15 points.

Wemby or ASVEL

Similar to Game 1, Chima Moneke and Donta Hall were left out of the Game 3 lineup due to league restrictions on foreign players available. Loyd with a minor foot injury and Jaron Blossomgame were both ruled out by Monaco for Game 2.

Seeking the first league championship in France in team history, reaching the season-ending series qualifies as the case for the fourth time since 2018. Carrying the homecourt advantage as the regular-season winners, Metropolitans 92 or LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne is up next in a best-of-five series.

On the opposite side of the Playoffs bracket, Victor Wembanyama’s side enjoys a 2-1 lead. Game 4 will be played in ASVEL’s Astroballe tomorrow, Sunday. Game 5, if necessary, would switch venues back in favor of the Mets.

Photo Credit: EuroleagueBasketball.net

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After two convincing wins for Victor Wembanyama and Metropolitans 92 in the semifinals in France, ASVEL stays alive after a big win in game 3. ASVEL played exceptionally, one of the best games of the season that translate to an 86-59 win.

After a back-and-forth first half, ASVEL jumped out to a big run in the third quarter, but it was nothing in comparison to the fourth quarter. ASVEL made a 15-0 run that seal the deal against Victor Wembanyama and Metropolitans.

The future number one pick finished the game with 13 points and seven rebounds in 28 minutes.

As for ASVEL, Dee Bost had 21 points, while Retin Obasohan followed with 18 points.

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With the game on the line and Monaco being just two points up (101-99) after a three by James Palmer junior, JL Bourg proved to be more than dangerous.

However, the hosts ended the night with a 4-0 run in the closing 26 seconds with Elie Okobo stealing the ball from Isiaha Mike and John Brown sealing the deal with a dunk while getting fouled.

Okobo also scored 21 points, Mike James added 19 and Alpha Diallo had 16, as Monaco jumped to a 2-0 lead in the French League semifinals.

Palmer with 21 points and Jordan Floyd with 20 were the top scorers of feisty Bourg which lost for the second time.

On the other semifinal couple, Victor Wembanyama is leading Metropolitans 92 to a 2-0 advantage over defending champions LDLC ASVEL, the team owner by French icon Tony Parker.

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Victor Wembanyama and Metropolitans 92 are on the verge of the French Betclic Elite League finals, after defeating LDLC ASVEL 86-83 in Game 2 of the semifinal series.

The French prodigy and a future No. 1 NBA draft pick, Wembanyama grabbed another double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds in front of 15.000 fans in Accor Arena, Paris.

He also managed to put the ball through the net in important moments. His three-pointer ended the ASVEL’s run in the fourth period, and with five minutes to go his his dunk gave the team some room to breathe (74-69).

Check out some of #NBADraft prospect Victor Wembanyama best plays from today’s game!

Metropolitans 92 take a 2-0 series lead in the semifinals. pic.twitter.com/wKJiXS0hiz

— NBA (@NBA) May 30, 2023

Still, it all went down to the last minute after Dee Bost hit the three to close the gap to just one point with 28 seconds on the clock. Retin Obasohan fouled Barry Brown quickly, but the US player hit both of his free throws for 83-80.

Bost refused to stand down and hit another three to tie the score with 16 seconds to go, but Brown was ready again and answered with a three-pointer after Vincent Collet’s time-out before Bost missed another tying three in the final moments.

The hero, Brown, was the top scorer of the winning side with 16 points, while Bilal Coulibaly added 15. Lahaou Konate had the same score as Wemby, but five fewer rebounds, while Tashawn Thomas finished with 12 points and six assists.

For defending champions, who are on the verge of elimination, Charles Kahudi scored 14 points with seven boards, Yves Pons added 13, while Youssoupha Fall and Retin Obasohan both scored 12. Dee Bost finished with 11, and Jonah Mathews with 10 points.

LNB Pro A semifinals, Game 2:

Metropolitans 92 – ASVEL 86-83 /2-0/
Monaco – JL Bourg (31/05) /1-0/

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Kevin Durant is visiting Monaco to watch his friend and former teammate Mike James play in the French League playoffs but it was another player who probably caught his attention more in the between La Roca team JL Bourg en Bresse

Donatas Motiejunas scored 20 points on 9-10 shots and got five rebounds in 22:28 to lead AS Monaco past Bourg 96 – 79 in Game 1 of the semifinals and begin the series on a high note.

Elie Okobo contributed 13 points while James and Jordan Loyd scored 12 apiece for Monaco. Sasa Obradovic’s team was superior from start to finish and had a particularly dominant 29 – 16 stretch in the second period to build a solid 48 – 32 lead at halftime.

Bourg couldn’t really contain the Monaco offense and fell behind 57 – 36 late in the third quarter, never to recover. James Palmer scored 19 points and Hugo Benitez added 10 points for Bourg.

Game 2 takes place in Monaco Wednesday (31/5).

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Victor Wembanyama’s story continues as he dominates in the semifinals of the domestic competition. The future No.1 pick records another double-double that was too much for ASVEL to handle in game 1 as Metropolitans 92 won the game 75-69.

Metropolitans 92 won the first three qourter which was enough for an 11-point lead going into the final 10 minutes. ASVEL did not overcome this kind of deficit.

Victor Wembanyama played 35 minutes and inked 19 points and 14 rebounds. DeVante Jones and TaShawn Thomas followed with 12 points each.

Former Chicago Bulls players  Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah had front-row seats for the Wembanyama show.

Espectadores de lujo para ver a Wembanyama en Francia: Derrick Rose y Joakim Noah. pic.twitter.com/A3I5VWS1EG

— Gigantes del Basket (@GIGANTESbasket) May 28, 2023

For ASVEL, Jonah Mathews led the way with 12 points.

In the other semifinal Monaco faces JL Bourg.

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Beating SIG Strasbourg 2-0 in the LNB Quarter-Finals, AS Monaco advanced to the Semifinals to face JL Bourg-en-Bresse. During these two games, Sasa Obradovic’s team attempted 70 free throws, converting 52 of them; on the other end, the losing team only went 22/28, causing the fury of the club.

In the press conference following the 85-83 loss at home against the Monegasque side, Luca Banchi erupted. “Given how the referees approached the match, their mission was quite clear. Even when the whistles were so bad, the players remained calm, stable, and solid and I’m very proud of that. If they believe they can take me down and make me shut my mouth, I’m 57 and I’ve been in basketball for so long… I’ve coached in five different countries, I see what’s right or wrong, I can recognize what is correct or not, they won’t shut me up, I’m sorry”, he first said.

“The behavior of the referees tonight felt like some sort of punishment, but I feel good. We were facing a EuroLeague team, super intense, super athletic, and superphysical, and they shot 42 free throws more than us. It’s funny, unreal, and maybe disgusting”, the Italian coach added while laughing. These were the last words pronounced in a post-game press conference for Luca Banchi in Strasbourg since he left the French team after being eliminated from the LNB Playoffs.

The head coach of the Latvian national team was followed by SIG Strasbourg’s president Martial Bellon, who took the microphone to speak about the matter. “In two games, 70 free throws for Monaco, 28 for Strasbourg. A difference of 40 free throws in two games, it’s just colossal. We have the feeling that there are two protected clubs in Betclic ÉLITE: ASVEL and Monaco. As we have the ability to make the comparison between the Betclic ÉLITE and the BCL, we looked at: we are by far the most badly treated team in free throws in Betclic ÉLITE, which is absolutely not the case in BCL. We saw a real difference in refereeing between the two competitions. I’m not saying we lost because of the referees, but 70 free throws to 30, somewhere, there’s a problem”, he commented.

PHOTO CREDIT: Basketball Champions League

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