Monaco used a strong fourth-quarter performance to rally past ASVEL Villeurbanne at home in the French derby (87-75). ASVEL trailed by four at the end of the third (67-63), but couldn’t come closer than that.
The hosts relied on their defense, allowed just 12 points in the fourth and outscored their rivals 20-12 to win the game.
Monaco maintained a Top-4 push in the EuroLeague, improving to 15-9 in the standings, whereas ASVEL fell to 8-16 and is on the brink of elimination.
At Zalgirio Arena, Zalgiris Kaunas survived a late thriller over Baskonia and snapped a three-game losing skid (79-75).
In a hard-fought game from start to finish, the Lithuanians closed the game on an 8-2 run and claimed a big home win, as the Basques scored just two points in the last three and half minutes.
Both teams now have identical records (13-11) and are tied with Partizan for sixth on the table after the end of Round 24.
Partizan, Baskonia and Zalgiris hold the final three playoff spots, with another five teams being within two wins, as the playoff race remains tight.
At OAKA Altion, Chris Jones hit the game-winning three at the buzzer and Valencia survived a late thriller vs Panathinaikos (91-92). It was a back-and-forth game with several lead changes, with the Spaniards standing tall in the end.
Jones led his team in scoring with 24 points, with the majority of them coming in the fourth quarter. For the “Greens”, Paris Lee had a game-high and season-best 25 points and Arturas Gudaitis added a season-high 23 points and 12 rebounds.
Valencia kept its playoff chances intact and improved to 13-11 in the standings. They are now tied with Baskonia, Zalgiris and Partizan for sixth on the table.
On the other hand, Panathinaikos lost its third in a row and fell to 8-16. The “Greens” are on the brink of elimination from the postseason.
