By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Bayern Munich is a very dangerous offensive team, especially at home, and that was proven beyond any doubt.
The Germans got the 95-93 win over Crvena Zvezda on a very tense night with many complaints from the losing side about crucial calls in crunch time.
Devin Booker with 21 points, Carsen Edwards with 17, Nick Weiler-Babb with 15, and captain Vladimir Lucic with 13 were the top scorers of the winning side.
“We never gave up, this team has a lot of grit, a lot of fight and tenacity”, said Booker after the final buzzer.
Zvezda had big support from their traveling fans, got a huge game by Filip Petrusev with 30 points, but it wasn’t enough.
Nikola Kalinic (20 p.), Codi Miller-McIntyre (13 p., 8 as., 7 r.), and Nemanja Nedovic (13 p.), while missing Milos Teodosic, put their heart on the floor for the losing side. That’s why tempers ran high even after the final buzzer, with Kalinic having a quarrel with Bayern coach Gordon Herbert.
Eventfull night in Munichpic.twitter.com/gVutxAKgJL
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A great third period by Bayern
The game was close, with Crvena Zvezda completing the first period up by two (23-21).
Bayern got 11 points in just six minutes by 19-year-old Ivan Kharchenkov to get a 31-30 lead. Still, Zvezda reacted with seven unanswered points, extending their advantage to six (37-31) after the first three of Isaiah Canaan, five minutes before halftime.
The Serbs completed a 13-3 run (43-34) with Kalinic and Petrusev, scoring 23 points combined, more than half of their team’s offensive output, and Zvezda almost closed the second period up by 10 (46-36), but Devin Booker made a buzzer beating three (46-39) to end the first half.
Bayern managed to trim the lead to four (50-46) after a goal-foul by Edwards, and despite Zvezda’s effort, the push continued, and the hosts finally got the 59-57 lead after a three by Nick Weiler-Babb. Edwards and Booker scored again to make the score 63-57 and complete a 9-0 run.
The hosts extended their advantage to 10 points (69-59), scoring 32 points in the third period, which ended with the score 71-61.
A three by Niels Giffey made it an 11-point lead (74-63); however, Zvezda closed the gap to three points (74-71) with five minutes left.
A thrilling overtime fight
The game turned into a dogfight, and entering the last three minutes, Zvezda trailed by one (77-76) after a big three by Rokas Giedriatis. Vladimir Lucic missed, and Petrusev gave Zvezda the lead again (78-77).
Petrusev stole the ball, Kalinic scored (80-77), and suddenly, Zvezda’s defense had turned the tide. Edwards scored to make it a one-point game (80-79), and in the next play, Petrusev was called for an offensive foul.
Weiler-Babb made another big three to give the lead back to Bayern (82-80), and Kalinic was fouled 34 seconds before the final buzzer.
He tied the score from the free throws line (82-82), and with 16.9 seconds left, a questionable foul was given in favor of Devin Booker.
Edwards, after missing before the foul call on Booker, got a second chance and did give Bayern the 84-82 lead, with Zvezda having a last chance with a two-second possession.
And Filip Petrusev once more scored to tie it all at 84 and send the game to overtime. On the extra five minutes, a big three by Lucic gave Bayern a four-point cushion (90-86), which was extended to five (92-87). Still, Filip Petrusev made the score 95-93 with 1.8 seconds left and also had a free throw.
He tried to miss on purpose, he was called for a lane violation getting faster than permitted in the paint, and Bayern got the ball with Giffey making two free throws in the end and closing the night.
Photo credit: EuroLeague