With 58 points before halftime, the visitors set a new club standard
Record-setting offense propelled Milan to a statement win
EA7 Emporio Armani Milan announced loud and clear that it is still a factor in the race for postseason action, ending AS Monaco’s eight-game winning run by claiming an emphatic road victory, 80-98, that was just as comfortable as it was surprising.
The catalyst for the triumph was a magnificent offensive first half, which saw Milan set a new club record on the road by racing to 58 points – beating its previous single-half high in the competition away from home of 56 points, achieved in a 92-89 loss at Real Madrid in the 2018-19 season.
It was also the best first-half scoring performance ever achieved by Milan home or away, and just 2 points short of the team's all-time single-half high.
That scoring came through clockwork efficiency, with Coach Ettore Messina’s team sharing the ball to perfection and finding all sorts of weapons to net with ease both close to the basket and from beyond the arc, as Stefano Tonut, Maodo Lo and Nicolo Melli all reached double figures in the opening two quarters.
When the half ended with a pair of three-pointers from Tonut, Milan had made 8 of its 15 long-range attempts and 14 of 21 from two-point range, dishing 14 assists on just 4 turnovers, and contributing to its dominance by winning the rebounding battle 18-11.
The defense later took over to seal the win as Monaco was held scoreless for more than 5 minutes during the middle part of the fourth quarter, which also saw a flurry from star forward Nikola Mirotic as he netted 8 points in the final period to finish with a game-high 21 points.
Mirotic acknowledged his team’s all-round effectiveness as he reflected: “We knew the importance of this game. We made great preparation and we knew defensively as a whole team we had to step up because we know how capable they are of scoring, especially Mike James.
"So it was a great team effort, and I’m very proud of the team. Now it’s another final on Friday [against Fenerbahce] so hopefully, we can get rest, preparation and get the next one. We know what we have to do. Everything has to be together, defensively with the whole team and offensively what we did tonight, share the ball around the whole court and play simple basketball.”
Coach Messina was clear about the key to the win, concluding: “My players played a very good game, extremely focused defensively and much more aggressive on offense. We showed cohesion, which is very important. It's everything you can dream of as a coach and a player, to have cohesion.”
If that kind of cohesion remains in place on Friday, Fenerbahce could become another big-name scalp for Messina’s men.