Baskonia sets Monaco as its next target
Receives the Monegasque team in search of its fifth consecutive victory in the Euroleague in a clash marked by the Howard-James duel
MADRID, 23 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Baskonia receives AS Mónaco this Friday at the Fernando Buesa Arena (8:30 p.m.) on the tenth day of the Regular Phase of the Euroleague 2023-2024, in which the Vitorian team, for the first time with a positive balance (5-4) , seeks to extend its winning streak after the arrival of Dusko Ivanovic.
The Baskonista team remains undefeated in the Euroleague since the arrival of the veteran Montenegrin coach after the dismissal of Joan Peñarroya, with four victories in a row, the last two in the important weekday doubleheader against Barça (94-71) and ASVEL Villeurbanne (81-88). An upward moment that was finally confirmed in the Endesa League against Valencia Basket (83-74) to chain three wins for the first time since the beginning of the season.
In this way, Baskonia has come out of the bottom and although it is tenth, it is equal in the table with five other teams, so a new success could help it continue climbing towards the ‘playoff’ zone. Furthermore, their next rival is a Monaco that has the same balance.
For now, Ivanovic has managed to improve his team’s defense, while in attack he continues to rely on the figures of point guard Markus Howard and power forward Chima Moneke, who were lethal last Friday in the Astroballe. The improvement is confirmed with the designation of two of their players, Codie-Miller McIntyre and Moneke, as ‘MVP’s’ of the last two days.
Now, Baskonia receives a Monegasque team that Ivanovic has already tested this season as coach of Red Star, a match in which they were defeated (76-82) and that is not as solid as in the last two campaigns, but that has won against the Baskonistas in their last three duels.
“It is a very complete team, not only in attack, but also in defense. It is a tough team that defends well in one-on-one situations and has three or four players who can decide the game and make decisions,” he highlighted in the preview of the match. the Montenegrin coach, who has already regained more depth with the returns of Khalifa Diop and Vanja Marinkovic and with Nikos Rogkavopoulos as the only casualty. In any case, he warned that some of those who have returned, like the center or Nico Mannion, will “cost them” because they have been out for a long time.
For its part, AS Monaco arrives in Vitoria after a bad last double day that ended with defeats against Anadolu Efes (82-89) and Real Madrid (91-73), which marked a stop to a streak of five consecutive victories.
Sasa Obradovic’s team continues to have point guard Mike James as a reference, who returns to what was his home in the 2015-16 season and is averaging 17.2 points and 5.2 assists per game and promising a nice duel with Markus Howard and Codie McIntyre.
DATASHEET.
–EQUIPMENT.
BASCONY: Howard, Miller-McIntyre, Sedekerskis, Raieste and Costello –possible starting quintet–; Moneke, Chiozza, Ten, Kotsar, Mannion, Marinkovic and Diop.
AS MONACO: James, Loyd, Brown, Diallo and Motiejunas –possible starting five-; Blossomgame, Cornelie, Hall, Jaiteh, Okobo, Tarpey and Walker.
–REFEREES: Lottermoser, Hordov and Obrknezevic.
–PAVILLION: Fernando Buesa Arena.
–TIME: 20.30/Movistar+.