At Roland Garros
Game, set and title. After Novak Djokovic, on Sunday, AS Monaco’s turn to be crowned at Roland-Garros. Winner of Boulogne-Levallois this Thursday (85-92), in the third match of the Betclic Elite finals, Sasa Obradovic’s players won the first title of French champion in their history in front of the 15,000 spectators of the Philippe-Chatrier court. All while finishing the play-offs unbeaten: the Roca Team “swept” Strasbourg (2-0) in the quarter-finals, JL Bourg (3-0) in the semi-finals and therefore the Mets 92 in the final (3-0) . Author of 9 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, Jordan Loyd is the big man of this meeting, with his two triple assassins in the last minute. 22 points also for his teammate Jaron Blossomgame, including 10 in the last 10 minutes, and 16 for Elie Okobo, including 8 in the last quarter. The latter had already been crowned with Asvel last season, like Matthew Strazel for that matter. The double for them.
Unhappy finalists in the French championship last season, against Asvel, the third in the Euroleague enforced the hierarchy, those who approached the season in the shoes of the big favorite. Logic respected for the biggest budget of the Betclic Elite (20.7 M€), a club which still played in the fourth division… during the 2011-12 season!
At that time, Boulogne-Levallois was still Paris-Levallois, with Jawad Williams, Trenton Meacham, Lamont Hamilton and Eric Chatfield under Christophe Denis. Another era for the Hauts de Seine club, which was close to disappearance last summer and which offered an enchanted parenthesis thanks to Victor Wembanyama, who played his last match in France this Thursday. More than likely future first choice of the NBA Draft, Thursday, June 22, the 19-year-old prodigy split 22 points, 7 rebounds and 4 blocks against ASM. The public (15,000 people) only had eyes for him on Thursday. All season in fact … 8 points for Bilal Coulibaly, also expected high in the Draft but who was hampered by faults. 20 points for TaShawn Thomas and 16 for DeVante Jones. Second at the end of the regular season then fallers of Cholet (2-1) and Lyon-Villeurbanne (3-1), Vincent Collet’s players more than met expectations.
Game 1 of the Finals? Solo rider of the ASM (87-64). The second ? Boulogne-Levallois started well, Monaco finished better (95-88). This Thursday, rebelote, with a big start from the Mets, 10/12 on shots in the first quarter under the impetus of a Jones in pitbull mode (9-0, then 14-4). Fortunately for ASM, there was Loyd, already author of 23 points in match 2 and who scored 13 of the first 16 points (32-16) of a Monegasque team KO standing (32-16) but who raised his head, like this huge counter by Yoan Makoundou against Armel Traoré (32-23 end of 1st QT, then 34-19). Already two faults for Donatas Montejunas and John Brown III on the Monegasque side, soon the third for a frustrated and frustrating Mike James, still no address from afar, consequent omissions on the defensive level for the Roca Team and the locals kept the reins, with Wemanyama omnipresent, to return to the locker room in the lead (53-44 MT).
No one can blame their lack of desire on the players of Vincent Collet, who continued to push for recovery. Alas, the crazy address at the start of the match had flown away, and Monaco tightened the screw, like the ball stolen by Brown III in the hands of his namesake, Barry Brown. James had the equalizer (64-61). “Wemby” and company still did not let go (70-61, then 70-63 at the end of 3rd QT). A real duel, with superior Monegasques, despite the problems of faults (Montejunas, Diallo) and the dirty match of James, but who wasted cartridges while Wembanyama assumed his status to postpone the inevitable. Blossomgame caught fire and Okobo gave Monaco their first advantage of the match with 3’37 to play (81-82). Still tied at the start of the last minute (85-85), before this crazy basket from Loyd (85-88). Barry Brown missed the equalizer, and that devil Loyd fell from afar. Giant. The thrust (85-91, then 85-92 final score).
And now ? French basketball will try to ride the wave after the departure of “Wemby”, the latter having shed incredible light on the championship. For the Roca Team, it will be a question of continuing on its momentum. Maybe with Mike James, maybe not. In any case, the Rocher club wants to settle down at the table of the greats… of Europe. As far as Boulogne-Levallois is concerned, it’s a time of uncertainty. Only Armel Traoré and Lahaou Konaté are still under contract for next season. Alain Weisz is retiring. As expected, coach Collet is also leaving the ship to focus on the Blues between now and the Olympics. The fear of emptiness ? A little… In the meantime, this 2022-23 season will go down in history, for the Mets, for all of French basketball. It remains to use it.
