"Physically and mentally empty," will Roca Team beat ASVEL in the second match of the Betclic Elite semi-final? The answer will be found this Thursday evening.

Batteries? Flat. Context? Delicate? Situation? Bad start. Tonight at 9 p.m., the Monegasques will take to the LDLC Arena for the second time in three days. The second part of a semi-final that already smells of burning at all levels. Slapped Tuesday night in a shocking 94-74 defeat , the Roca Team wasted a bullet in its quest for a third consecutive crown.

Shaken in too many areas, they produced only one consistent quarter (the second) and surrendered to a more intense Rhône team. "We complained too much to the referees. We have to be stronger than that mentally, keep playing," lamented Vassilis Spanoulis, an annoyed coach after the match. With these words, the Greek was potentially targeting Elie Okobo and Terry Tarpey.

The former saw fit to get annoyed with the referee rather than defend on the final action before the break (after being fouled), when the latter was given an unsportsmanlike foul in the middle of the second half. Annoyance as an illustration of a situation that is going wrong. "We didn't play ," Spanoulis pointed out. "We were joking as if it were a friendly match, we had no energy, we were moaning too much. It's a semi-final and we played without intensity, without desire, without passion..."

“Empty physically and mentally”

Losing the first set in this best-of-five series is nothing to scoff at. But they'll have to show something else tonight. More value and, above all, more energy. But do the Monegasques still have something left in their socks? It's difficult to quantify the role of a physical decline in the correction they've undergone.

But the fact cannot be ignored for a team undoubtedly exhausted by the string of matches and travel. The coach must also do without Daniel Theis (injured) but does not want to hear about it. "After the Final Four, we spoke with the players but we are physically and mentally empty. I don't understand why. It's basketball, we have to love it and fight for titles! I can't understand, but it's my responsibility to correct this."

Cornelie, the clearing

By empowering underused players? "V-span" hasn't really hinted at this intention so far. Papagiannis and Tarpey? Condemned to champing at the bit on the Abu Dhabi bench. Begarin? Glued to 0 minutes in the three quarterfinal matches against Le Mans. Cornelie? Stuck in less than 20 minutes of play since the start of these playoffs. Spanoulis isn't the type to open up the bench too much, even when the boat is rocking. Yet the players mentioned all have something to contribute.

Energy, in particular: on Tuesday, Petr Cornelie deployed his long legs and his frame to offer something different to a team on the rim (ASM's best evaluation). Capable of defending hard and making an impact, Begarin only had four minutes, which he tried to improve despite the sealed outcome (4 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist). In short, some players have ants in their pants and potential to tap into to help Monaco balance the series. It remains to be seen what will happen to the fate of Mike James, suspended and excluded from these playoffs by his club.

His talent is lacking at the helm of a team not helped by a struggling Nick Calathes. Could reinstating "MJ" be considered? "I can't give you an update," Spanoulis interrupted. "How long will he be suspended? Ask the president or the manager. Of course, it can affect others. But when your leader isn't there, it's up to others to raise their game. They have to play to prove they deserve their place. Players often complain that they don't play enough, that Mike has too much of the ball. But in such a context, show that you're better than that!" Scoring the second round to regain home-court advantage would be a great idea for the Rock...

Find out more Live from the LDLC Arena on DAZN