EA7 Milan scores key win in Munich

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan picked up its first victory of the Turkish Airlines Euroleague season with a 74-81 win at Bayern Munich in Group C action. The home team led by 6 early in the fourth quarter, but Milan surged ahead and executed well in the closing minutes to snag a pivotal road win. Joe Ragland and Daniel Hackett led the way with 16 points each for Milan. Linas Kleiza added 11 points and Samardo Samuels chipped in with 10 points for the winners. The hosts dropped to 1-2 despite 15 points from Heiko Schaffartzik. Dusko Savanovic added 13 points, Vladimir Stimac 12 and John Bryant collected 10 points and 10 rebounds.

First quarter: Milan jumps ahead 2-17, but Munich reels off 12-0 run

Bayern coach Svetislav Pesic sent out the same starting five as the week prior with Nihad Djedovic, Anton Gavel, Robin Benzing, Savanovic and Bryant. Milan coach Luca Banchi made one change with Ragland coming on for David Moss with Hackett, Alessandro Gentile, Nicolo Melli and Samuels. Milan started out red hot with Hackett nailing a pair of jumpers and Gentile going baseline for a dunk to jump ahead 0-6. Bayern finally got on the board with Savanovic putting back his own miss after nearly two minutes played. That didn’t faze Milan with Ragland racing back for a layup after the basket and then Hackett hitting a three from the right corner for a 2-11 lead and a Munich timeout. Milan kept on shooting with Gentile hitting from the same corner and Ragland draining a long ball from straight on for a 2-17 advantage. Bryant finally got another basket for Bayern with an offensive rebound and putback. Melli’s jumper made it 6-21 and Milan had made 9 of its first 11 shots in the first six minutes. Melli and Hackett came out of the game for Kleiza and Moss, and the Milan offense sputtered. Bayern meanwhile just started to heat up with Schaffartzik coming on and nailing a three-pointer, followed by a Bryant three-point play and two Benzing threes to bring Munich to within 18-21. Moss snapped the 12-0 run with a layup off an inbounds play, but Jan Jagla cut the margin to 21-23 with a three-point play. Gentile finished off the quarter with free throws to give Milan a 21-25 lead.

Second quarter: Stimac, Savanovic key for hosts

Bayern continued its strong play into the second quarter, effectively getting the ball inside as Vladimir Stimac sandwiched two inside layups around a Savanovic basket to give Munich its first lead at 27-25. Kleiza finally got Milan on the board after two minutes of action to even the game and Shawn James’s layup put Milan back ahead. Stimac got another inside basket to knot the game at 29-29 but Milan scored 6 straight points with James, Moss and Kleiza each scoring. Savanovic knocked down a three from the left corner and then Vasilije Micic and Gavel both made foul shots before another triple by Schaffartzik gave Munich the lead, 39-38. Ragland answered with a three-point play before Savanovic hit a jumper just before the buzzer to send the teams into the locker rooms deadlocked at 41-41.

Third quarter: Bayern scores final 7 points after back and forth stretch

Djedovic started the half with a layup – and his first points of the game, which were matched by 2 free throws from Gentile. Djedovic assisted on a Stimac basket as Munich regained the lead only to see Samuels score 4 straight points to push Milan back ahead 45-47. Bayern went up again and led 52-50 when Ragland nailed a three from the left wing. Hackett followed with a triple as Stimac got caught on a switch, pushing Milan ahead 52-56. The guests went cold and didn’t score the final 3:30 of the quarter while Schaffartzik hit a layup, Bryant tipped in a miss and Micic buried a jumper just before the buzzer for a59-56 Munich lead.

Fourth quarter: Milan executes better down the stretch

Schaffartzik increased the lead to 62-56 with a three from the left corner. Kleiza got Milan on the board in the fourth and then Moss and MarShon Brooks both nailed long balls from the right side for a 63-64 Milan lead - and a Munich timeout. Gavel gave Munich the lead, but Kleiza punched right back to make it 65-67. Stimac and Ragland swapped free throws before Brooks blocked Gavel and then got out ahead for a dunk and a 67-71 advantage - and another Bayern timeout. Samuels made 2 free throws and Moss 1 as the cushion grew to 67-74 with Munich unable to score. Schaffartzik snapped a three-minute scoreless stretch with a long three just before the end of the shot clock. Just seconds after missing 2 free throws, Savanovic made 2 to cut the deficit to 2 points only to see Ragland nail a three from the right wing to up the margin to 72-77. After Bryant and Samuels swapped inside baskets, Savanovic missed a three-pointer with 43 seconds left. Kleiza missed free throws, but then Schaffartzik tossed up an airball three-pointer with 27 seconds to play. And Hackett finished off the game with 2 free throws.