Strazel banned for Roca Team's title decider in Paris
By Zak Jackson, MonacoViews Editorial
Matthew Strazel will miss Tuesday night's deciding Game 5 of the Pro B final after the league's disciplinary panel handed him a one-match suspension, though the Roca Team has appealed.
The Ligue Nationale de Basket's disciplinary commission delivered its verdict on Monday evening: Matthew Strazel receives a one-match ban plus one match suspended, ruling him out of Game 5 of the Pro A final against Paris on Tuesday night (tip-off 21h10). The Roca Team moved swiftly, lodging an emergency appeal against the decision in an attempt to have the guard reinstated before the match.
Alpha Diallo, who faced the same disciplinary hearing, was cleared without sanction. Whether the appeal succeeds or not, AS Monaco Basket head into what is now a winner-takes-all contest in Paris without the certainty of their starting line-up resolved - a significant complication at the most critical moment of their season.