The fifth game against Barcelona is as tight as the entire series – in the end Monaco can continue to dream of the first triumph in the premier class.
The German basketball world champion Daniel Theis is with the AS Monaco in the final Four of the Euroleague. The Principality team won the decisive quarter-final game against the Spanish top club FC Barcelona on Tuesday with 85:84 (45:39) and won the turbulent series for itself: Monaco had already run 2-0, Barcelona then forced the fifth duel with two victories.
Theis remained comparatively inconspicuous, contributed four points and two rebounds in just about ten minutes of play. Monaco is now taking part in the final tournament in Abu Dhabi (May 23 to 25) and hopes for the first title in the premier class, main round winner Olympiakos Piraeus and Fenerbahce Istanbul had already solved their tickets.
Daniel Theis (right) on Tuesday evening
Fourth participants are still determined
The last starter will be determined on the later Tuesday evening: defending champion Panathinaikos Athens with the German Center Tibor Pleiß also contested the fifth game against Anadolu Istanbul.
The last duel between Monaco and Barcelona lived up to the close series. The AS ran behind for quite a while and only took the lead in the second quarter. A sprint of the hosts followed, Theis made the first 10-point lead of the game in the third section (51:41)-but Barcelona quickly came back. In the end, the best thrower for Monaco was Mike James with 20 points, for Barcelona Kevin Punter (19) led the scorer list. Theis, who returned to Europe after eight NBA years in February, was in the shadow of his center colleague Georgios Papagiannis (17 points) that evening.