By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
In cruise control from late in the first quarter, FC Bayern Munich rolled Panathinaikos, 84-68, Thursday.
Dwayne Bacon scoring 16 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter made a scare but he was too late to the party. The team effort in defense prevented easy buckets for the visitors, in the process creating long droughts for the players guided by Dejan Radonjic. Apart from being limited to 24/63 from the field, the visitors did not do themselves any favors netting only 11 of 20 free-throw attempts.
The former Bayern boss, the play-caller for the two last domestic league championships in 2018 and 2019, saw his current side fall to 6-11 with a fifth loss in a row. On the wrong end of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season Round 17 contest, the fourth straight loss on the road, part of a poor 2-7 effort away from Greece’s capital. “In this situation for us, it is very important to stand up and fight,” the Montenegrin tactician delivered the message ahead of upcoming challenges.
Matching his personal best for the 2022-23 season, former South Alabama standout Augustine Rubit produced a game-high 23 points. “It is something that we have been putting together, playing team defense and swinging the ball in offense,” Rubit commented on the winning performance, “I am glad it showed tonight.”
Providing more action for Andrea Trinchieri’s side, Freddie Gillespie posted a ten-point, ten-rebound double-double. “The big one was defense,” noted the 25-year-old center, “That’s our calling card. We got good defenders and a lot of guys with a good defensive mentality. A lot of guys want to buy in.”
“We played solid defense, solid offense as a team. We moved the ball well with a couple of moments that we were not accurate enough. But down the stretch, I believed we deserved to win the game,” added the Italian head coach.
Isaac Bonga and Othello Hunter chipped in 11 and ten points, respectively. Besides the defensive effort, making 33/61 from the field, including 28/47 two-pointers and plenty of second-chance points inside the paint kept the home side in charge.
Former Bayern forward, Derrick Williams tallied eight of his 14 points in the third quarter following Bacon on the scoring list of Panathinaikos. Panagiotis Kalaitzakis (back) missing another round sat out alongside Andrew Andrews and Nikos Pappas.
Two days after going up to 11-2 in Germany’s easyCredit BBL, the Munich outfit snapped a two-game EuroLeague losing streak jumping to 6-11 with a fourth win in nine home games this season. Besides captain Vladimir Lucic (elbow), other players sidelined were Andreas Obst (elbow) and Zan Mark Sisko (personal).
The BBL collision of EuroLeague participants is coming up with Alba Berlin visiting Audi Dome Sunday. Switching to the next two-game week of Europe’s top-tier club continental competition, Bayern will be at home against Cazoo Baskonia and on the road versus Fenerbahce Beko Tuesday and Thursday, respectively.
The Greens will take on Peristeri bwin hoping to improve Basket League’s second-best record of 8-2. Two more matchups at OAKA Altion follow as Fener and Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv will travel to Athens Tuesday and Friday, respectively.