Baskonia secured a prestigious victory over AS Monaco at Buesa Arena, thanks to a solid defense that held the opponents to just 73 points. Trent Forrest shone with 17 points and a +27 valuation, while the team prevailed despite Marcus Howard's ejection. This win highlights Baskonia's home strength, contrasting with their poor away performance.
Baskonia showed its solidity at Buesa Arena by defeating AS Monaco, one of the Euroleague's most scoring teams averaging 90 points per game. The defense led by Paolo Galbiati was key, restricting the Monegasques to low shooting percentages: 28.5% on two-pointers and 21% on threes, ending with just 73 total points.
Trent Forrest, recovered from injury, led the offense with 17 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and a +27 valuation. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot contributed 19 points, including some in crucial moments. Marcus Howard sank triples that energized the crowd but was ejected for five personal fouls with eight minutes left. For AS Monaco, only Mike James stood out with 21 points.
The game reflected Baskonia's irregularity this season, marked by roster changes: departures of Samanic and Diallo, arrivals of Simons, Nowell, Radzevicius, and Omoruyi. At home, they have notched notable wins, like this one against Monaco or against Real Madrid in ACB with a comeback. However, away from Vitoria, they hold a 0-7 record in Euroleague and 1-4 in ACB, without European away wins since December 17, 2024, against Maccabi in Belgrade (85-95, with 28 points from Howard and 17 from Chima Moneke).
Baskonia led by 16 points (54-38) at the start of the third quarter, but Monaco narrowed it to two (54-52) with 3:30 left in that period. The fans feared the worst, but the team clung to Buesa to seal the victory. Now they face away challenges: Barcelona and Valencia in Euroleague, and Unicaja in ACB.
