Bayern Munich had a difficult situation to face coming into round 31 of EuroLeague after the team stayed inactive for almost three weeks due to COVID-19.
Even against the team with the worst record in the competition Bayern could not finish the game as head coach Andrea Trinchieri wanted, and they end up losing 80-67.
More specifically, the Bavarians cut the lead to one point (65-64) entering the last five minutes of the regulation. However, they could not find much-needed offense during that stint to get away with a crucial win.
“The first and last quarters killed us. In the first quarter we received 26 points without making one foul, and that was an unforgivable sin,” Trinchieri said after the game.
“Then we managed to play good in the second and third quarters to shorten the gap and make it a one-possession game. But then we didn’t have the energy or the players to do the right things in the last five minutes.”
Bayern could not buy a basket in the last 5:20 after Darrun Hilliard made a three to cut Panathinaikos lead to one. They only scored three points the rest of the way and allow the Greens to make a 15-3 run to win the game.
Photo: EuroLeague Basketball
“We fought until the end. We had problems before the game, as we know. Many players were in quarantine and with only a few training sessions it was also a bit unrealistic to expect more here. But we hoped and the game ended up being such that we didn’t have any strength left,” forward Nihad Djedovic stated.
Bayern had to withstand another blow during the game as the team saw superstar forward Vladimir Lucic leaving the floor after suffering a thigh injury.
Trinchieri claimed that the team has a chance to have a successful season, but amidst injury and COVID struggles through the year, rest of the squad will need to stick together.
“Usually by the end of March you know what your team looks like, but now we just have to stand together. We had two injuries in the last quarter with Lucic and Hunter, we had no practice. (…) It’s very hard, but we still have all the chances to turn it into a successful season.”
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