A duel without a net, without a second chance and without room for error. This is how the night looked in the Principality of Monaco, where Barça needed to win to survive in the Euroleague. He didn’t get it. and won 79-70 in a match that had a first half of Monegasque dominance, a Barcelona reaction in the third quarter and a final surrender that certified the most painful elimination for the Barça club in the last eight years, outside the quarterfinals.
The match began with Monaco plugged in. The locals found comfortable baskets from the first minute, taking advantage of an obvious physical superiority under the boards. Will Clyburn was the only one supporting the visitors, but a run of 11 consecutive points by the Monegasques left the score at a severe 21-9 that was already showing signs of progress. The first quarter ended 26-14 and the local offensive rebound numbers were a devastating portrait of what was happening.
In the second period, Xavi Pascual tried a 2-3 zone to try to stop the Monegasque pace, but it didn’t work. Terry Tarpey and Juhann Begarin’s three-pointers from the perimeter and the tireless work of Daniel Theis and Jaron Blossomgame in the paint further expanded the lead. Barça was 15 points behind before Tornike Shengelia and Jan Vesely hit three-pointers that softened the blow. At half-time, the scoreboard was 49-35, leaving the Catalan team with many unfinished business.
Once back, Barça brought a different version. Pascual ordered a return to individual defense and insisted on exploiting the post of Shengelia, who responded with an outstanding performance. The Georgian and Vesely became the engine of a comeback that reduced the difference to five points at the end of the third quarter (58-53), with Punter crowning the 9-18 partial with a counter at will.
The last quarter was a battle of wills. Juani Marcos came off the bench with an energy that Barça urgently needed, cutting the score to six points with a frontal three-pointer (65-59). But Monaco, led by Mike James who finished the game with 13 points and 10 assists, did not give in. The locals recovered their offensive solidity in key moments and managed the advantage coolly. James’ triple to make it 72-61 was the final blow, although Marcos tried again. In the end, 79-70 on the scoreboard and elimination for Barça.
The Barça team’s European season ends in the worst possible way: without reaching the quarterfinals for the first time since 2017-18. The loss of Tomas Satoransky, who could barely play 10 minutes due to physical problems, deprived the team of an important man in the organization of the game. Monaco, for its part, will face Olympiacos in the next round. Barça returns home without having passed the play-in and with more questions than answers for next season.
