By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Nemanja Nedovic made one of his two game-decisive free throws to pace AX Armani Exchange Milan to a 79-78 win over FC Bayern Munich in Round 22 of Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, after an intense battle. The Italian side ended a three-game losing streak and improved to an 11-11 record in the standings.
Vladimir Micov led the home team with 16 points, while Nemanja Nedovic exited the court with 13 points and the free throw that won the game, making one out of two with six seconds left on the clock. Kaleb Tarczewski got the offensive rebound after that and the game was over.
“We underestimated Bayern. We started very softly. […] We were down by 20 and we managed to win. We deserved this win because it was a very important game. We were missing a lot of players with injuries, but for sure we cannot play like this”, said Micov after the game.
Sergio Rodriguez finished the game with 9 points and 10 assists. “We know the games in the EuroLeague are tough and we have to protect our home. We did that today. It felt good. We needed it after three tough losses”, he said after the game.
Bayern’s Danilo Barthel posted a game-high performance of 18 points and five rebounds, leading two more Bayern scorers in double digits.
Milano comes back to reign the fourth quarter
Bayern started off the game with a 26-21 lead after 10 minutes and soon expanded to double digits throughout the second quarter and kept a 45-38 advantage at halftime.
Paul Zipser paced the German side ahead 63-47 with two minutes to go in the third period, then the home team started its own run to trim the deficit to 66-53 after 30 minutes. Micov and Rodriguez led the hosts in the fourth, as they used their comeback to make it a two-point game with four minutes to go in the game.
Ultimately a few sets of free throws would determine the outcome of the game, with Nedovic shaping the final score and Paul Zipser getting the tie at 78 for Bayern with nine seconds left.
“It was a big comeback win. The players at one point relaxed a little bit. They were very tight at the beginning of the game and we couldn’t hit a shot. Our defense was not at the level”, commented Milano coach Ettore Messina.
Following this defeat, Bayern sinks further down the standings with a 7-15 record.
Photo: EuroLeague