Reynolds powers Bayern past Baskonia
FC Bayern Munich registered its third consecutive home win by topping TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 77-66 at Audi Dome on Friday. Bayern improved 10-5 in the standings, good for a third-place tie with Real Madrid. Baskonia dropped to 6-8 and is now on a three-game losing streak. Jalen Reynolds led the winners with 21 points. Wade Baldwin added 17 points, Paul Zipser added 13 and Leon Radosevic 11 for Bayern. Baskonia got 13 points from Zoran Dragic, 12 from Alec Peters and 10 each from Achille Polonara and Rokas Giedraitis. Polonara added 11 rebounds for a double-double. Bayern led 18-15 after 10 minutes and extended its margin to 38-30 at halftime. Baskonia managed to get within 54-50 late in the third quarter but Zipser and Reynolds fueled an 11-0 run that allowed Bayern to stay away of trouble until the final buzzer.
Pierria Henry got Baskonia going with a three-pointer and Youssoupha Fall added a layup for a 0-5 lead. Tadas Sedekerskis matched Radosevic's triple with a layup-plus-foul. Baldwin took over with a coast-to-coast layup and fed JaJuan Johnson in a 7-0 run that Paul Zipser capped with a triple for a 10-8 Bayern edge. Dragic rescued Baskonia but Reynolds followed a jump hook with a dunk, Zipser sank a jumper and Nick Weiler-Babb added a reverse layup to boost the hosts' lead to 18-12, which Peters cut to 18-15 after 10 minutes. A red hot Reynolds made it a seven-point game, 22-15, early in the second quarter. Baldwin capped a 6-0 run with a jumper, as Fall answered with an alley-oop layup. Baldwin scored in penetration and found Radosevic for a jump hook that gave Bayern a 30-19 margin. Baldwin and Radosevic kept pacing the hosts, forcing Baskonia to stop the game at 38-23. Giedraitis and Polonara rescued the guests, and Luca Vildoza kept Baskonia within 38-30 at halftime. Baldwin hit a jumper and a three-pointer soon after the break but Vildoza and Dragic kept Baskonia within 45-35. Tonye Jekiri sank his trademark mid-range jumper, Johnson and Dragic traded layups, then D.J. Seeley downed a triple for a 50-39 Bayern lead. Giedraitis took over with a layup-plus-foul and a floater, getting help from Dragic and Peters to bring the guests as close as 55-50. Zipser struck from downtown for a 58-50 Bayern lead after 30 minutes. Weiler-Babb sank a fallaway jumper early in the fourth quarter and Reynolds hit a four-meter shot to restore a 62-50 Bayern margin. Zipser scored again to break the game open, 65-50, with under 6 minutes remaining. Henry and Peters tried to ignite Baskonia's comeback but Reynolds followed a dunk with a layup to seal the outcome, 69-55, with under 3 minutes left.
Pivotal performer
Reynolds was a dominant force in the paint, scoring in many ways and also proving efficient on defense. He finished the game with 21 points, making 8 of 11 two-point shots and 5 of 6 free throws. He added 9 rebounds and 7 fouls drawn for a PIR of 29.
Game-changing moment
Dragic got Baskonia within 54-50 late in the third quarter. Bayern found a go-to guy in Zipser, who buried a three-pointer on the third-quarter buzzer and added a jumper in an 11-0 run also powered by Baldwin and Reynolds. It was enough to seal the outcome, as Bayern's defense did the rest.
Stellar stat
Two-point shots and turnovers were the key factors of the game. Bayern scored 25-of-51 two-point shots (49.0%) and limited Baskonia to just 15-of-42 (35.7%). Bayern picked up just 5 turnovers, a new club record.
Did you know?
Bayern broke a three-game losing streak against Baskonia in European competitions. Bayern registered a 77-71 home win in their first meeting on October 25, 2018, and had always lost against Baskonia after that – until tonight.
Next game
Both teams return to EuroLeague action for Round 16 next week. Bayern vists Zalgiris Kaunas on Wednesday, December 23 and Baskonia visits AX Armani Exchange Milan, featuring former players Vladimir Micov and Shavon Shields, the same night.
Friday, December 18, 2020
Euroleague.net