Barca on the ropes: DeShaun Thomas' career night helps Bayern even the series at Palau / News - Basketnews.com

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FC Bayern Munich downed regular season standings leaders FC Barcelona at the Palau Blaugrana 90-75 (23-18, 25-17, 19-21, 23-19) to tie the playoff series to 1-1.

Player of the Game EFF 29 Deshaun Thomas Points 25 Accuracy 9-13 Rebounds 7 Assists 2

DeShaun Thomas had a sensational night, going for 25 points on 6/7 three-point shots and 7 rebounds. The former (2014-15) Barcelona forward sliced the hosts' defense open from the perimeter in Darrun Hilliard's absence. Andreas Obst did the same, scoring back-to-back daggers in the end of the third quarter and 15 points altogether.

On the other end, Nicolas Laprovittola and Nikola Mirotic scored 16 points apiece, as Barca couldn't find the way to get the upper hand, being down throughout the entire contest.

Game 3 will be held in Munich’s Audi Dome next Wednesday. Game 4, if necessary, will follow at the same venue a couple of days later. The team coached by Andrea Trinchieri would love to get the home-court advantage before returning to Germany.

Seven early points by Nicolas Laprovittola got the hots going in the first quarter, but Bayern managed to stay close thanks to their defensive hustle and some effective outside shooting. The Germans saw multiple players contribute offensively and lead them to a 0-8 run that put them up by 23-18 at the end of the first quarter.

DeShaun Thomas made things even better for Bayern (33-20) with a transition three-point shot and a jumper, which concluded his personal 10-point streak as the guests had started to feel more confident. Sarunas Jasikevicius was furious on Barca's bench, but his timeouts were to no avail.

Nikola Mirotic interrupted the Bavarians' 0-12 run, but Barca kept struggling. DeShaun Thomas didn't stop connecting from distance, scoring 13 points in the second quarter alone and handing dominant Bayern their biggest lead in the game (47-31).

Points this season

50%82,5Points made:82,5Accuracy:49,6%Place in standings:2Record max:111Record min:64Best scorer:Nikola MiroticTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

Nick Calathes scored 10 points and dished 2 assists in the first half, in an effort to keep his team afloat. The Greek guard made sure that Barca wouldn't lose touch with the German side.

"We're playing Bayern's game. They play with patience," Laprovittola said at half-time.

What the Argentine pointed out in the break was probably shared by his teammates, who cut down the deficit to single-digits (45-53) with a corner-three from Kyle Kuric.

That was the game's boiling point. Bayern didn't lose confidence, despite Ognjen Jaramaz wasting two long-range attempts. Thomas took control of the situation with his fifth three-point shot of the game, however foul trouble was a thorn on the Bavarians' sides.

Hunter, Rubit, Weiler-Babb and Lucic had three fouls way before the end of the third quarter. Sertac Sanli made it 56-61, but Andreas Obst had a different opinion. The German sniper hit 2/2 from behind the arc in 35 seconds to decisively restore Bayern's double-digit lead (67-56).

Mirotic kept giving some hope to Barca from the line on a night when Bayern chose to close in on the paint, forcing the hosts to several turnovers. A quick 6-0 run by the hosts brought some enthusiasm to the Catalan fans. Then, a highly questionable foul called against Davies on Jaramaz that resulted to Saras receiving a technical, erased Barca's hopes.

When Nick Weiler-Babb drained another three, Bayern went up by 15 again (83-68) with only three minutes left. Barca's defense was non-responsive and time was not their ally.

Now, everything can be decided in Munich.

Barcelona:Nicolas Laprovittola 16 (6/10 FG, 2/2 FT, 2 AST), Nikola Mirotic 16 (4/10 FG, 7/9 FT, 6 REB, 4 TO), Nick Calathes 13 (6/9 FG, 0/2 FT, 3 REB, 8 AST), Brandon Davies 8 (4 REB).

Bayern:DeShaun Thomas 25 (9/13 FG, 1/2 FT, 7 REB), Andreas Obst 15 (5/10 FG, 1/2 FT), Nick Weiler-Babb 12 (4/8 FG, 3/4 FT, 8 REB, 4 AST), Ognjen Jaramaz 11 (5 AST), Augustine Rubit 10 (8/8 FT, 8 REB).

Full game highlights:

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