Saskkonia Saskonia struck on Thursday to 112-89 against Bayern Munich on day 30 of the Euroleague regular season, with a standout performance by American shooting guard Markus Howard, keeping the few options for the Vitorian team to make it to the «play-in» stage.
At the Buesa Arena, the locals started with a 21-10 run that foreshadowed a productive evening for Howard. But Bayern woke up with a collective effort, as they were missing. They shot more than the auto Napier Shabazz, until they eased the deficit to end the first quarter (25-21) with a three-pointer by Niels Giffey.
The start of the second period provided a solitary stretch for Baskonia up to 40-30, as they dried up on offense, with six long minutes to rest. Another Giffey propelled the German team to overtake (45-48), although Luka Samanic scored five consecutive points to go into halftime with a slim lead of 50-48.
Upon returning from the locker rooms, a partial 16-3 run by Baskonia allowed them to move on the scoreboard in less than four minutes. Howard was the architect of that stretch, hitting from the perimeter, but equally important was the contribution of Timothé Luwawu-Cabarot from long distance.
Gordon Herbert’s students couldn’t shine in the paint, and it wasn’t easy to keep up with their opponents’ long-range shooting. During the third quarter, Baskonia’s lead solidified, capped off with a three-pointer by Forrest to close out the period.
From there, Pablo Laso’s team brought intensity to every possession, every shot, and every defensive play. Donta Hall was a reflection of this as he dominated the paint, and Howard added even more three-pointers. It’s no surprise that a failed movie return, in the form of a +20 lead (96-76) with 6:06 left to play.
This was a walk in the park for Baskonia, bringing some joy to their fans in this Euroleague season, which is sweet for them. With their current record of 13-17, the Vitorian team aims to reach the «play-in» stage; on the other hand, Munich remains at 17-13 on the cusp of the playoff positions.
-Result: Baskonia, 112-Bayern Munich, 89 (50-48 at halftime).
Baskonia: Forrest (14), Howard (27), Luwawu-Cabarrot (14), Sedekerskis (8), and Diop (4) -Starting Five–; Raieste (-), Savkov (-), Jaramaz (6), Rogkavopoulos (13), Hall (14), Samanic (12), and QuereJeta (-).
Bayern Munich: Weiler-Babb (9), Edwards (13), Lucic (2), Harris (6), and Voigtmann (13) -Starting Five–; Obs (8), Giffey (9), Napier (15), Brankovic (8), and Khambenkov (6).
-Quarters: 25-21, 25-27, 33-23, 29-18.
-Officials: Nedovic, Sukys, and Bobert. No ejections.
-Attendance: Buesa Arena, 8,252 spectators.
