One of the key statistics a head coach will look at in the box score after a game is offensive rebounds. FC Bayern Munich playcaller Andrea Trinchieri can be happy about his team’s showing in that regard as the relentlessness on the offensive glass played a major role in knocking off Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv - along with an outstanding Wade Baldwin IV down the stretch.
Bayern won the rebound battle 37-26, including 14 offensive rebounds, in coming back to beat Maccabi 72-70. The home team collected 20 second-chance points to 10 for Maccabi. Seven of those came at the start of the fourth quarter as Bayern was trying to make up a 51-58 deficit after 30 minutes. After a DJ Seeley basket and 2 Paul Zipser free throws resulted after offensive rebounds, Baldwin took advantage of another offensive rebound and drained a three-pointer.
That was the beginning of the Bayern guard taking over the game. He evened the game at 60-60 on his next score and then gave the hosts the lead 64-62. Baldwin’s final points of the game came on a layup after a big block on the defensive end from Vladimir Lucic for a 68-64 lead. Baldwin continues to be one of the true leaders for this Bayern team that sits in fifth place at 16-10 with a 10-3 record at home this season. Baldwin finished with 16 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists.
With Bayern up 70-68, Baldwin missed a layup and an offensive rebound ended up becoming a turnover as John DiBartolomeo out-hustled Nick Weiler-Babb to the ball and made a layup with 18 seconds left to tie the game. Weiler-Babb ended up making up for the miscue by hitting the game-winning free throws with 9.3 seconds left.
"We have a team that doesn’t want to lose games. We are not perfect, we make a lot of mistakes. We sometimes complicate our life with some mistakes that you don’t see often at this level. But we don’t want to lose. So we will stay there until we find a way," Coach Trinchieri said afterward.
This time, the "way" was Bayern’s offensive rebounds and Baldwin’s stand-out performance in the fourth quarter.