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| Turkish Airlines EuroLeague March MVP: Mike James, AS Monaco |
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Turkish Airlines EuroLeague debutant AS Monaco faced an uphill climb at the start of March, with three Final Four teams from last season on its schedule. Thanks in good measure to the leadership of Mike James, Euroleague Basketball's choice as the player of the month, Monaco finished March with a 4-1 record and is now headed to the playoffs. James was nearly flawless as Monaco capped the month on a four-game winning streak. While his league-high performance index rating of 23.6 for the month summarizes his effectiveness, James's ability to inspire confidence in an otherwise inexperienced team was crucial to Monaco becoming the truly rare first-time EuroLeague club to reach the postseason.
The MVP of the Month honor is now in its 17th season. The winner is named by Euroleague Basketball based on his and his team's performance during the month in question. With the March honor, James becomes just the third player ever to win the award at least three times, and the first among them to do so with three different teams. He had previously been chosen player of the month in February of 2019 for AX Armani Exchange Milan and in November of 2021 for CSKA Moscow.
Monaco opened March on the road against FC Barcelona and was tied with the league leaders in the game's final 100 seconds before losing 88-83 despite James combining 19 points and 6 assists for a team-high PIR of 24. Returning home in Round 29, Monaco dismantled defending champion Anadolu Efes Istanbul 102-80 as James went off for 27 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds and a PIR of 32. A double-round week at home saw Monaco win by 20 points again, 92-72, over playoffs-bound Olympiacos Piraeus behind James's 25 points, 4 steals and 27 PIR, then beat Bitci Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 78-68 as he chipped in 9 points and 4 steals again. Back on the road against third-placed Milan to finish the month, James led Monaco's second-half comeback to win 63-72 as he put up 19 points and dished 7 assists against his former team.
Despite facing such elite competition in the middle of a playoffs race, James was able to raise his game during March with 19.8 points and 3.8 rebounds on average while maintaining his assists at 5.4 per game. He shot a remarkable 54.8% on two-pointers, 43.3% on threes and 89.7% on free throws. James is now the only EuroLeague player to rank among the top five in three major statistical categories: points (third, 16.5), assists (third, 5.8) and PIR (fifth, 17.7). As a result of his virtuosity, the fans of Roca Team will soon be able to witness the first EuroLeague playoff game ever in the principality.
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