By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
For 30 minutes the German derby was close, but after the final buzzer there were no surprises and the better teams prevailed.
Bayern got the 99-84 road win in Berlin and moved to a 13-10 record on a four-way tie with Real Madrid, Crvena Zvezda, and Barcelona between the 6th and the 9th spot of the Turkish Airlines Standings.
Once more Carsen Edwards with a EuroLeague career high of 34 points was the star of the winners, while Andreas Obst added 21 points on six out of seven three-pointers.
“Against them, it always feels like a three-point game, the way they push the pace, knock down shots, and stay in it. So, it’s good for us to get the win. You know how much any win means, so we’re just happy to get it and for everyone to come out healthy“, Edwards said after the game.
Will McDowell-White had 18 points for ALBA which were not enough as the Berliners remain last in the standings.
Decided in the fourth
The game was balanced in the first half with the score tied at 27 after 10 minutes of action and Bayern getting a 52-50 lead at halftime behind 16 points by Edwards.
Things remained the same in the third period which ended with Bayern again leading by two (70-68) after many lead changes.
However, in the end, Bayern finally created some distance at the start of the fourth quarter with an 11-2 run (81-70) in two minutes which gave them a real advantage with Edwards already having 32 points under his belt.
ALBA had the time but couldn’t recover. Bayern pushed the lead to 15 points (88-72) with five minutes left in the game despite ALBA making it an eight-point game (88-80), the was no real coming back.
“It’s a double-edged sword when Obst and Edwards get going”
Bayern Munich’s coach, Gordon Herbert, shared his thoughts on the game and commented on the performances of Carsen Edwards and Andy Obst.
“It was a back-and-forth game for 30 minutes. I thought that in the first five minutes of the fourth quarter, we showed a great response. Obviously, Obst shot the ball well, Edwards made some big plays, and it’s a double-edged sword, so to speak when those two get going,” Herbert said.
He also praised captain Vladimir Lucic after his return to the court and emphasized his importance to the team.
“His presence back in practice has made a big difference. A few years ago, he was a first-team All-EuroLeague player but then had some injury issues. He’s an extremely high-level player with a tremendous basketball IQ, so just having him back with the team really helps. He was out for three months, so little by little, he’s getting back. We now have a bit more size with Giffey and Lucic.”
Photo credit: EuroLeague