Monaco, UNICS complete Eurocup semifinals picture

The two Eurocup quarterfinal series that went the distance proved to be highly entertaining in Game 3. In the end, home-court advantage proved vital as both AS Monaco and UNICS Kazan won to advance to the semifinals. Monaco edged Buducnost VOLI Podgorica 90-87 to advance to the semis for the first time in club history. There it will meet Herbalife Gran Canaria. UNICS outlasted Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar 82-78 to book a trip to the semis for the sixth time. It will face undefeated Virtus Segafedo Bologna with a spot in the EuroCup Finals at stake.

Quarterfinal A: AS Monaco 90-87 Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (2-1)

AS Monaco outlasted Buducnost VOLI Podgorica 90-87 in a thrilling Game 3 on Wednesday at Stade Louis II to reach the EuroCup Semifinals for the first time in club history. Mathias Lessort led the way with a career-best 24 points for Monaco in a game that wasn’t decided until Buducnost’s Danilo Nikolic missed from downtown in the closing seconds. J.J. O’Brien added 13 points, Marcos Knight tallied 12 points and a personal-best 12 rebounds, and Dee Bost scored 11 for the winners, who will meet Herbalife Gran Canaria in the semifinals. Justin Cobbs paced the Buducnost attack with 17 points, Willie Reed scored 16, and Nikola Ivanovic, Amedeo Della Valle, and Petar Popovic netted 11 points apiece.

Quarterfinal D: UNICS Kazan 82-78 Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar (2-1)

UNICS Kazan advanced to the 7DAYS EuroCup semifinals by downing Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar 82-78 at home in Game 3 of their best-of-three series on Wednesday. UNICS will face still-undefeated Virtus Segafredo Bologna in the semifinals. Jamar Smith led the winners with 19 points, Jordan Morgan and Okaro White each added 17, and John Brown scored 10 for UNICS. Kevin Hervey had 22 points for Lokomotiv and Mindaugas Kuzminskas added 19 and 10 rebounds. Kuzminskas and Will Cummings helped Lokomotiv to an 18-24 lead after 10 minutes. The guests extended their margin to 27-37, but Okaro White and Jamar Smith fueled a 14-0 run that put UNICS ahead, 41-37, at halftime. UNICS boosted its lead to double digits, 57-46, late in the third quarter, but Hervey led an 0-10 run that brought Lokomotiv back to the game. With the game on the line, White, Smith, and Morgan made the difference down the stretch.