By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
On paper Bayern Munich still has a fighter’s chance for the playoffs and they were not going to throw it away against ASVEL.
With Corey Walden scoring eight points in the last three minutes the hosts managed to edge the French side and got the 76-72 win. Bayern has now an 11-16 record and in theory can still hope, while ASVEL at 9-18 just waits for the season to finish.
Walden in total had just 10 points. Andreas Obst with 15 was the top scorer of the winning side and Dennis Seeley added 12.
As Obst said after the game: “I think we had great open looks. Credit goes to the team, we moved the ball, shared the ball and rebounded the ball. All season long, as a team, we have a good chemistry. Everybody can have a good game, maybe nobody has ever 20 points, but a lot of players have double digits, a lot of us sharing the points. That tells a lot about our team”.
For ASVEL, Jonah Mathews with four straight points trimmed the lead of Bayern to three (71-68) but in the end couldn’t do much more. In total he scored 10 points, Dee Bost had 18 and David Lighty 13.
With 20 seconds left, ASVEL’s veteran Alex Tyus once again made it a three-point game (73-70), but Isaac Bonga answered back with two free throws. Bost was then fouled and made two free throws, Bonga found himself one the same situation and made one and with 15 seconds left, Lighty had a chance for a three but missed.
Bayern led by 10 (31-21) during the second quarter, but the game was close from wire to wire and ASVEL even got a 57-56 lead at the start of the last period.
“The game did not look good, but the taste of the win is very good”
FC Bayern Munich head coach Andrea Trinchieri admitted that it was an ugly game, but at this point of the season, the result is the only thing that counts for his team.
As he explained: “The game did not look good, but the taste of the win is very good. In the game like this we did not have a rhythm, they tried to make us fall asleep with their very containing defense, and we had to take some shots. We were shooting a lot of three-point shots because the paint was really locked. I take the win and I go home. I believe the game was tougher because we were not able to gear up in the game. We were very slow. I understand. It is never easy play play play, and always find the same good vibes, the same good rhythm, offense and defense. Despite another great game, we go home with a win.”
LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne was coached Morgan Belnou since head coach TJ Parker is still out with back issues. As Belnou said: “In the EuroLeague, it is in details. When Bayern takes 20 offensive rebounds it is difficult to win on the road. But I am proud of the players, they showed resistance to the physical impact from Bayern.”
ASVEL president and basketball icon Tony Parker was in Munich with the team and had the chance to meet with another legend, EuroLeague president Dejan Bodiroga who was also in attendance.