Bayern rally in the fourth behind Lucic's clutch play to take down ALBA / News - Basketnews.com
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FC Bayern Munich (11-11) continue fighting for a playoff spot at the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, winning their third straight and handing the third consecutive loss to their German rivals, ALBA Berlin (6-15) 62-56 (16-16, 10-8, 15-20, 21-12).
Player of the Game EFF 21 Vladimir Lucic Points 19 Accuracy 7-12 Rebounds 3 Assists 1
Bayern regained the lead at the start of the fourth after four straight points from Nick Weiler-Babb (47-44). Luke Sikma responded with four straight of his own, bringing ALBA back in front (48-47).
However, Zan Sisko and Vladimir Lucic showcased their clutch abilities in crunch time, scoring 12 of Bayern's last 15 points. Lucic drained an and-one 3-pointer with under a minute remaining, securing a six-point Bayern victory.
Lucic led Bayern with 19 points (5/7 2PT, 2/5 3PT, 3/5 FT), 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 2 turnovers, and 21 PIR.
"Our energy was much better [in the second half]," Lucic said. "We played more as a team. It is a tough week behind us and two important wins in a row, so it was really important to confirm that good week here tonight. Especially, it is always a big game for us playing against ALBA, the German derby."
Maodo Lo was the best man for ALBA tonight, finishing with 13 points (3/5 2PT, 1/3 3PT, 4/8 FT), 4 assists, 2 steals, 2 turnovers, and 15 PIR.
It was a low-scoring first half for both squads. After a respectable 16-16 finish in the first quarter, both German teams struggled to score in the second. Augustin Rubit gave Bayern a five-point advantage (24-19), but Maodo Lo cut it to two going into halftime (24-26).
ALBA turned it up in the third period, starting it off with an impressive 14-1 run, capped off by Jaleen Smith's third 3-pointer to give ALBA a double-digit advantage (38-27). However, Bayern responded with a 12-3 spurt of their own, coming within three going into the final period (41-44).
ALBA played without Marcus Eriksson and Tim Schneider tonight. Bayern managed with Darrun Hilliard, Nihad Djedovic, Paul Zipser, and Marvin Ogunsipe out of the lineup.
"What an ugly game!" coach Trinchieri admitted. "But both teams fought until the end. Both teams are dead tired: 62-56. And we played, but it was like playing in the mud. No energy, but we found the right place in the end. Looks ugly, but the taste is very sweet."
Bayern: Vladimir Lucic 19, Zan Mark Sisko 9, Corey Walden 9, Nick Weiler-Babb 6 (7 REB, 6 STL), Deshaun Thomas 6.
ALBA: Maodo Lo 13, Jaleen Smith 13, Ben Lammers 9, Luke Simka 7 (9 REB).
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