By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Bayern Munich was trailing for most of the game and until the closing minutes, they were in danger of losing to Panathinaikos. However, a big three by Vladimir Lucic on a night in which he had in total six points on 2/7 attempts from deep and four free throws by Augustine Rubit saved the day for the 81-78 win.
Darrun Hilliard with 20 points was the top scorer of the winning side, DeShaun Thomas added 15 and Rubit got 12 points.
“Lucic came big for us. I think we are growing, we are building the team character that we need and in this game we proved it”, said Hilliard after the buzzer.
It was a game in which Panathinaikos managed to get even a 10-point lead (57-47) in the third period, after a 44-37 halftime advantage.
“For a long time in the game Panathinaikos played better than us, but sometimes when you play poorly, but you believe, you grind and you have resilience you are able to win”, admitted coach Andrea Trinchieri. “We didn’t shine but who cares? When you play back-to-back games like Forrest Gump said it’s like a box of chocolate, you never know what you will get”.
However, Bayern trailed just by one point (60-59) at the end of the third with Andreas Obst making two key threes.
Thomas gave Bayern the lead (61-60) and Panathinaikos’ answer was a 10-0 run. Bayern trimmed the lead to two (74-72) after a goal-foul by Darrun Hilliard and a three by Corey Walden and everything ultimately was decided in the last two minutes which included a lot of sloppy plays.
With the game on the line, Okaro White missed two free frows for Panathinaikos and Lucic put Bayern up by one (77-76) with 29 seconds left in the game.
On the next possession, the ball went in and out in a good shot by Daryl Macon and Augustine Rubit with two free throws that gave to Bayern a 79-76 lead. Nemanja Nedovic with two free throws made it a one-point game again and Rubit with two more free throws sealed the deal.
Ioannis Papapetrou scored 17 points for Panathinaikos and Macon had 12 and six assists. Yogi Ferrell for one more game was not used by Panathinaikos that has a 2-9 record, while Bayern improved to 5-6.
“I think the way we played we deserved to win”, said coach Dimitris Priftis, “however in the end details decided the outcome”.