AS Monaco and Real Madrid gave Turkish Airlines EuroLeague fans another thriller on Friday night. Following Monaco's improbable Round 12 victory in the Spanish capital, the second overtime game between them in two seasons, this time Real managed to hold onto a 91-95 win in regulation time.
Both games this season featured almost-identical situations in the final minute of fourth quarter, with Mike James holding decisive shot opportunities – one he took and one he didn't.
In Round 12, James did the seemingly impossible. With Monaco down 88-84 and 6.8 seconds on the clock, he launched a three-point shot with a near-vertical trajectory to send it over the outstretched arms of 2.20-meter Walter Tavares, the EuroLeague's shot-blocking king.
Not only did James make that shot, miraculously, but he drew a foul on Tavares. His four-point play tied the game, which ended up going into an extra session where Monaco claimed its only victory ever over Real, 94-95.