BarcelonaGordon Herbert, a 75-year-old coach who won two medals with the German national team, has positioned Bayern Munich as one of the biggest surprises of the Euroleague. The coach, who has an extreme ability to persuade his players, is extracting oil from a team that plays at a great pace. Barça experienced this first hand, as they were beaten at the Sap Garden (100-78). The Blaugrana team, which had no options, suffered its second consecutive defeat in the European competition.
The big local hero was Andreas Obst, who scored 34 points with eleven triples, a Euroleague record. “I was told during the game that I was only one triple away from breaking the record,” he admitted. As if he were just another spectator, Barça was unable to stop the display of the German winger, who boosted his career after regaining his motivation when he was a player for Obradoiro.
Joan Peñarroya used Joel Parra to replace the absence of Chimezie Metu. The bad news of the night was the injury of Àlex Abrines, who made an overexertion to play a few minutes of the second half with a sprained ankle. “They have played better with an incredible percentage from the three-point line. Our defense has been too soft,” analyzed the coach.
Bayern Munich started the match on the best foot. The German team, which usually plays at a very high pace, took advantage of six triples to dominate the first quarter (28-21). The Blaugrana reaction came from the defense, but it did not have the necessary continuity to limit the offensive production of the locals. Obst was the big beneficiary of the German team’s ball mobility, which did not miss a single two-point shot during the first half (48-38).
Barça held on to Jabari Parker to try to reduce the differences during a third quarter in which Obst’s marksmanship continued to mark the differences (74-54). Despite ten minutes remaining, the game was seen for judgment. Carsen Edwards, who had not had a good start to the game, added to the party of a Bayern Munich that went on to win by 26 points thanks to his 20 triples.
