By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Kevin Punter, after scoring 20 points and AX Armani Exchange Milan are one win away from the Final Four, after beating Bayern Munich in Game 2. The final score was 80-69 as Shavon Shields added 12 points and Sergio Rodriguez scored 13.
“We just won the right to play a Game 5”, said after the game coach Ettore Messina trying to keep his team grounded for the rest of the series.
Bayern was clearly affected by losing Game 1 at the buzzer, Nick Weiler Babb was missing due to injury, and the 23 points scored by Wade Baldwin couldn’t turn the tide. Plus coach Andrea Trinchieri was ejected with a double-technical one minute before the end of the third quarter and even that turn of events couldn’t inspire his team to complete a comeback.
Bayern started the game leading 5-0, but Milan answered with a 20-0 run (20-5) and then built a 22-point advantage (40-18), closing the first half with the score being 47-29 in their favor after a three by Rodriguez.
Punter with 13 points and Shields with 10 in their first 10 minutes of action set the tone early.
However, Bayern, true to its character throughout the season, didn’t back down and trailed just by six (55-49) with three minutes left in the third quarter after a goal foul by James Gist who finished the night with 11 points.
“We expected that they will come back, this happens in the playoffs and we lost a bit of our concentration, the game became really physical, but ultimately we defended and we rebounded our misses”, said Messina.
Milan held its ground and entered the last period leading by 12 (65-53) with Trinchieri not being on his bench anymore. Bayern couldn’t get closer than eight points after that and with the series going to Munich at this point it’s win or go home for the Bavarians.
Photo credit: EuroLeague