Alpha Diallo powers up Monaco’s engine in game 2 against Barcelona: « He set the tone »
Against FC Barcelona, Alpha Diallo (2.01 m, 27 years) confirmed his current excellent form. Monaco’s forward, who just extended until 2028, started strong and helped his team win 92-79, taking a 2-0 lead in this EuroLeague quarter-final series.
A blazing start for Alpha Diallo
Alpha Diallo caught fire right from the start on Friday night. Scoring his team’s first 12 points, he put Barcelona under immediate pressure. It took more than 6:30 minutes before another Monaco player, Mouhammadou Jaiteh, scored. Shortly after, Diallo made another impact with an and-one to extend the Roca Team’s lead.
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In 32 minutes, the New York native finished with 21 points on 9/12 shooting, 6 rebounds and a 24 PIR, embodying his team’s aggressiveness and defensive intensity.
His teammate Jaron Blossomgame praised his performance: « He set the tone for us tonight. He played incredibly. He did a lot of things for us, both offensively and defensively. »
A key role beyond offense
While Alpha Diallo stood out offensively, that’s not necessarily what his coach Vassilis Spanoulis expects from him: « I can’t judge Alpha on his scoring impact. If he scores, it’s ok. If he doesn’t score, it’s ok. He was everywhere, he defended very well, like everyone else. »
Mouhammadou Jaiteh shared the same observation: « Today, it was Alpha Diallo. It could have been another player. Beyond that, it’s mainly about the effort. He’s a key player in putting pressure on Barça’s perimeter players, especially Kevin Punter. That’s what he’s been doing in these two games. »
Monaco will now have the opportunity to close out the series next Wednesday at the Palau Blaugrana, with a confident Alpha Diallo.
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