MONACO — AS Monaco defeated FC Barcelona 93-86 in EuroLeague action, a crucial victory that brings the Principality club closer to the play-in tournament. The Monegasque team, led by head coach Manuchar Markoishvili, found offensive balance through Elie Okobo and Mike James (16 points each) and sealed the game thanks to Kevarrius Hayes' impact in the final minutes. For Barcelona, Kevin Punter led all scorers with 27 points, supported by Darío Brizuela and Will Clyburn, each with 13.
The game began with better vibes for FC Barcelona, which managed to impose its offensive rhythm in the opening minutes. The Blaugrana found fluidity in attack and punished from beyond the arc to open a clear early lead, closing the first quarter at 18-26 that reflected their superior offensive precision.
However, the script gradually changed in the second quarter. AS Monaco began to adjust its defense and find offensive solutions through Okobo and Mike James, two of the team's primary scoring threats in this EuroLeague season. With sustained response throughout the second quarter, the home team managed to recover ground and head into halftime with a slight advantage (46-44).
After the break, the game entered a phase of maximum parity. AS Monaco maintained small leads throughout much of the third quarter and into the start of the final period, while FC Barcelona stayed in the game thanks to Kevin Punter's offensive inspiration, who finished as the game's leading scorer with 27 points. Darío Brizuela and Will Clyburn, with 13 points each, also contributed offensively to keep Barcelona in the fight.
One of the aspects that tipped the scales was production from the free-throw line. AS Monaco converted 26 of 29, while FC Barcelona had only 12 attempts, making 10—a difference that ultimately proved decisive in the final score of this EuroLeague matchup.
The decisive moment came in the final two minutes. With the score still close, Kevarrius Hayes emerged as the difference-maker. The center added 11 points, several of them in the fourth quarter, and his plays allowed AS Monaco to consolidate the lead and close out the game with authority.
With this EuroLeague victory, AS Monaco improves to 21-16 and awaits other results to confirm their spot in the EuroLeague play-in.
For their part, FC Barcelona falls to 20-17 and will face Bayern Munich in the final game of the EuroLeague regular season, a matchup in which they will need to win and hope for favorable results to remain in contention for qualification.