AS Monaco neutralise Allen, Oldenburg, make it five in a row
MONACO (Basketball Champions League) - AS Monaco improved their perfect start in the 2017-18 Basketball Champions League season to 5-0 with an 88-73 win over EWE Baskets Oldenburg on Wednesday night.
Monaco continue to look unstoppable with their perfect start in the competition, and Oldenburg will take little solace in being the team to have driven them closest with a 15 point deficit.
.@ASMonaco_Basket remain the only unbeaten team of the #BasketballCL, as they've ended @EWE_Baskets' own three-game win streak with ease!
— #BasketballCL (@BasketballCL) November 8, 2017
📊https://t.co/UZutOTPfCa pic.twitter.com/txEKbyxyLs
The home side clamped down on EWE Baskets Oldenburg star Bryan Allen, holding him to 5 points on 0/5 shooting as he had to rely on free throws to get on the board.
"Bryon Allen is the best scorer in the German league and in Champions League," Monaco Head Coach Zvezdan Mitrovic commented.
"We know him from last season when he played for Nymburk. The guys did a good job against him, really good job team defence. This is maybe one of the key factors for tonight."
AS Monaco were up by as many as 23 on the way to win, facing little resistance as they led from start to finish, and snapped EWE Baskets' own three-game streak.
Amara Sy had 19 points and 7 rebounds to lead Monaco, Gerald Robinson had 17 points, with Paul Lacombe having 11 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists.
"Tonight we play really good game," added Mitrovic.
"I really respect Oldenurg team and the coach. They play in the German league and last season they were very serious team, in the last six games, they've won five.
"The team here never give up, they lose but you need to be focus 40 minutes. You make some advantage but they always stay on your neck and you need to be very focused and try to keep your team for 40 minutes good concentration and it's not easy.
"Look, the score is big but we really give a lot of energy tonight."
Rasid Mahalbasic had 18 points and 10 rebounds, Rickey Paulding had 16, whilst Maxime De Zeeuw had 14.
AS Monaco puts the clamps down in the first half, holding Oldenburg to 29 points on 33% shooting, whist neutralising star Bryon Allen.
The home side led 44-29 at halftime, and never looked back.
DJ Cooper knocked down a tough buzzer beating three for AS Monaco to end the third quarter, putting them up 69-53 heading into the final 10 minutes and the difference was just too much for Oldenburg to overcome.
