In a thrilling overtime battle, AS Monaco star Mike James delivered an unforgettable performance, leading his team to a 112-107 victory against Maccabi. His outstanding play not only secured the win but also earned him the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award for Round 9 of the EuroLeague season.
The game was a major milestone for James, who has now become the all-time leader in the EuroLeague’s Performance Index Rating (PIR). His all-around excellence in scoring, assisting, and rebounding has cemented his place in the league’s history books.
🏆 A Night of Records
Mike James was simply unstoppable, finishing the game with an incredible stat line: 34 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals. This impressive effort resulted in a PIR of 37, the highest of the round. This is the 12th time in his career that James has been named the MVP of the Round, showing just how consistently great he has been over the years.
📈 Climbing to the Top
With his performance, James surpassed former leader Nando De Colo to claim the top spot on the career PIR chart, reaching a total of 5,617. While he is now the PIR king, he is still chasing the record for the most MVP of the Round awards. He currently trails Shane Larkin (19), as well as Nando De Colo and Sasha Vezenkov (who both have 16).
⭐ Other Standout Players
While James stole the show, other players also had fantastic games in Round 9. Elijah Bryant of Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv recorded a PIR of 36 in a win over Dubai. Saliou Niang from Virtus Bologna also impressed with a PIR of 35, which included 12 rebounds, the most in this round. Meanwhile, Dwayne Bacon of Dubai was the top scorer of the round with 36 points.
