By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
Bayern Munich didn’t have the best start to the season, but Pablo Laso’s side slowly progressed and is, with five rounds to go, in contention for the Top 10 spot.
The German team improved its record to 13-16 after a narrow 64-58 victory at home over Zalgiris Kaunas, with Devin Booker standing out with 20 points in a low-scoring game.
The US center shot 5/9 from two, 2/3 from beyond the arc, and 4/4 from the free-throw line. He also grabbed six rebounds for a game-high Player Efficiency Rating (PIR) of 22.
“Before the game, the coach stressed how important playing defense is. The first half was pretty good; we stayed with it for the most part. We kinda let up a little bit in the end, but it all started with defense, and that transitioned into the offense,” Booker said.
Only two of his teammates reached double digits, with Nick Weiler-Babb and Carsen Edwards scoring 10 points each. The German national team player had a good all-around performance, grabbing four rebounds, three steals, and dishing three assists for a PIR of 18.
As usual, Keenan Evans led Zalgiris, but he had an off night until the final moments. With the game on the line, he stepped up and scored 14 points in the last five minutes, but it wasn’t enough for the Kaunas side to catch up with the hosts. He finished with 21 points, while Brady Manek added 11.
Bayern grabbed the lead midway through the first quarter with a 14-0 run and never looked back. The hosts led 31-16 in the second quarter, then 50-32 in the third. Evans managed to make the game interesting in the end with a series of buckets, but it was too late for Zalgiris.
Pablo Laso’s Milestone
Bayern Munich’s head coach, Pablo Laso, achieved a significant milestone by defeating Zalgiris and recording his 250th victory in the EuroLeague. He wasn’t even aware of it.
“For me? I didn’t even know, but it sounds very good. I’m very happy for the victory, not for the number. Our effort was very good. Defensively, we did a great job. Leaving a EuroLeague team under 60 points speaks about a very good team effort. We did great in the first half, contested shots, rebounded, and then we had a rhythm of the game. We had a good advantage; we didn’t know how to manage it in the end, but we worked very well for 38 minutes,” Laso said after the match.
The play-caller of Zalgiris, Andrea Trinchieri, talked about the physical aspect of the match.
“It was a very physical game. We didn’t understand how to play with this amount of contact for three quarters, but we fought and missed too many open shots. The game was there, but at the end of the day, Bayern deserved to win,” Trinchieri said.