Bayern break through in Lyon thriller

The win was thoroughly deserved, and despite a nerve-racking flurry of calls, Bayern never let it slip away. On Round 10 of the EuroLeague, FC Bayern Basketball beat ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne 99–95 (45–45) on the road, as Anton Gavel’s side finally came away with a hard-fought win. It was the French record champions’ first home defeat in six games, while Bayern celebrated their third road win in front of 7,000 fans – fighting for it in the second half with a 22–6 edge on the boards.

Stats Quotes

What’s next: Bayern travel to Würzburg for the South derby on Sunday, then head to Valencia for another EuroLeague game on Thursday. The following Sunday, they host MBC at the BMW Park (15 November).

Asvel Villeurbanne – FC Bayern Basketball 95:99 (45:45)

Boxscore

Wiley scores 22, Lučić adds 18

Da Silva, Giffey and Washington were unavailable in Lyon. Bayern nevertheless made a strong start, opening up a 14–8 lead, with six assists and seven points from Lučić in the first five minutes. They could have been further ahead after the opening quarter, but missed a few open shots and layups (20–21; 8/19 FG).

Bayern lead by 10, then ASVEL take over

Three-point shooting made the difference before the break: Bayern had made just one of their first nine attempts by the 15th minute. Jokubaitis drained their tenth after a pass from Obst to put Bayern up 37–35 (17'), but the league’s best three-point shooting team went 6-for-10 from beyond the arc before halftime.

The second half opened with an Obst three, a monster block from leading scorer Wiley (22) against Mills, and a fast-break finish from Thiemann as Bayern moved ahead 57–52 (24'). The game grew more frantic, but Bayern matched ASVEL’s intensity and extended their lead to 71–61 through an aggressive drive from Jessup (29').

Three Bayern turnovers and three ASVEL threes brought the hosts back within three at 75–72 (32'). Bayern hesitated and gave the ball away, and Mills beat the buzzer again to make it 83–82 (35'). Lyon even took the lead, but with 1:15 remaining, Lučić dunked to put Bayern up 93–92. The captain and Wiley kept their cool at the free-throw line, as did Jokubaitis with seven seconds left. Yes!

Quotes

Anton Gavel, Headcoach FC Bayern Basketball: “Congratulations to the guys. They played hard, even when ASVEL came back from a ten-point deficit. We wanted this win so badly, and now we have to build on it. We have to fight like this in every game, wherever we play and whoever we play against. Our performance was better than last week, and I think this win was important for our confidence, too. We also showed we could bounce back when ASVEL took the lead in the fourth quarter. That’s good for our morale. We were a little careless with the ball in the second half. After four turnovers in the first half, we finished with 15. But I think everyone who came onto the floor gave us a boost, and the bench was alive. We have to show the same fighting spirit in our next games.“

Austin Wiley „I’m really happy. We needed this win badly, and it motivates me to keep this momentum going. Our performance against Belgrade last week was disappointing. We wanted to make up for that today and give everything to win. I love being at Bayern. I love my teammates and coaches, and I’m looking forward to the rest of the season.“

Vladimir Lucic: “We showed a reaction and character today—that was the most important thing after three straight defeats and the way we played in Belgrade last week. We had a few meetings, talked a lot, and put in a good team performance today. I’m very happy with the win and hope we can build on it. I also hope we can get a home win at the SAP Garden soon – our fans deserve that.”