Sasa Obradovic: 'There's a lot of frustration, but we have to win the next one' / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: AS Monaco/Direction de la communication Credit AS Monaco/Direction de la communication

AS Monaco's future in the EuroLeague playoffs is precarious after Olympiacos Piraeus gave the Roca Team a taste of their own medicine in Game 3.

Player of the Game EFF 24 Aleksandr Vezenkov Points 17 Accuracy 4-9 Rebounds 9 Assists 2

In the Salle Gaston Medecin, the Reds scored 52 points in the second and third quarters combined and also managed to react when Paris Lee put his team up 80-79 with less than three minutes left.

One of the reasons for Monaco's defeat was allowing guards Kostas Sloukas and Thomas Walkup to wreak havoc by scoring and creating.

The Greek guard had only 2 assists for 5 turnovers but produced 21 points on excellent shooting (7/9), while his Texan teammate showcased a more balanced stat line, consisting of 13 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and one turnover.

"We didn't stop their creators," was the first Sasa Obradovic's quote in the postgame presser.

"Sloukas has a lot of experience and adjusted to different types of defense. He made shots himself and also created shots for other players. He has won titles and knows how to behave in these kind of situations," the Serbian coach noted.

On the other hand, Monaco are by and large an inexperienced team, albeit guided by some players who have been to one or more playoff series, like Mike James and Will Thomas.

"For a lot of guys, this is their first time in the playoffs. Of course, you learn from that. It's amazing for a team like us to get here," Obradovic continued.

Monaco bounced back from a 15-point deficit at the beginning of the third quarter (58-73), keeping Olympiacos scoreless for more than four minutes. But the game had started on different terms for the hosts, who took a 25-19 lead after eleven minutes of action.

"At first, we were too euphoric, we thought that we could finish the game early. But we also showed great strength of character. We're going to show up with full energy for Game 4. Obviously, there is a lot of frustration, but it's not over," he went on to say.

Leo Westermann

MIN:17.77PTS:5.25 (48.25%)REB:1.65As:2.7ST:0.3BL:0.1TO:1.45GM:20ProfileEuroLeague2021/2022

For Monaco, Alpha Diallo was absent once again with a muscle injury. Obradovic isn't sure whether the Providence graduate will be ready to make the 12-man squad on Friday for Game 4.

"He can be a defensive stopper in some moments. We needed an extra defender, he's one of the best. We'll see how his condition will evolve," Obradovic commented.

If Dwayne Bacon is Monaco's "barometer", as Giorgos Bartzokas called him on Tuesday, Mike James is the team's indisputable leader. However, Wednesday turned out to be a peculiar night for the 32-year-old scoring guard.

He finished the first half with 13 points, which were largely a product of a perfect 10/10 shooting from the charity stripe. He didn't score a single point in the second half, despite the fact that he kept dishing out assists. Eventually, he fouled out before he was able to take matters into his own hands.

Referring to James's early foul trouble, as the charismatic scorer got called twice in the first two minutes, Obradovic admitted that he didn't want to sub him.

The Serb added that he usually does just that whenever a player collects two fouls early. James stayed on the court for almost 35 minutes and only visited the bench to catch his breath.

"I believed that he could find the way to stay in the game, and he did, although his fifth foul was unnecessary," he explained.

"I don't know if he killed the aggressiveness in him," Obradovic concluded.

Of course, the same goes for Monaco. That loss was a blow, but one from which the hosts mean to recover.

"We're going to sit down, analyze everything and go back for Game 4. That's the whole point of a series - being able to make adjustments for the next game," team captain Leo Westermann pointed out.

"As is often the case in this kind of games, everything is based on details. That's what makes playoff games stand out - they're always very intense," one of the most experienced Monaco players said.

Support BasketNews so we could make even better content.