The Spanish giant closed in on a top-six berth after a dominant performance in Munich
Barcelona on the cusp of making playoffs after beating Bayern
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FC Barcelona (21-11) took a big step towards securing a playoff berth in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague after a clinical 79-87 win at FC Bayern Munich, which came as a result of a cohesive team effort against shorthanded opposition.
With Devin Booker, Niels Giffey, Andy Obst and Danko Brankovic missing from the home team’s roster, Barcelona fired on all cylinders for three quarters before battling Bayern made a fight of it in the fourth.
Barcelona got its work done early
Having won the opening period 19-25, Barca then steamrolled into a whopping 21-43 lead before Bayern trimmed its deficit to 30-47 at halftime. It was pretty much the same script in the third quarter, with the Blaugrana taking a 53-71 advantage into the home stretch. Only then did Bayern step up to the plate and cut the gap to 77-83 in the closing stages, but the hosts ran out of time to force what would have been a spectacular comeback.
Power forward Serge Ibaka, who played extended minutes at center in the absence of the towering Devin Booker, came up big for Bayern with 17 points and 12 rebounds, but his valiant solo effort was cancelled out by a flowing team work from Barca.
Among a crop of players who contributed for the visiting team, Jabari Parker earned the player of the game accolade with 15 points and he summed up that hitting the ground running at Bayern was crucial for Barcelona.
“We were up against a very talented team and we had to get going at the beginning of the game,” Parker said in a flash post-game interview. “We had good energy and played good defense, so the offense kind of took care of itself.”
Head coach Roger Grimau added: “We had a great first half and a good third quarter. They pushed us hard in the fourth but we controlled the game and eventually won it. We moved the ball well and found some clear situations.”
A big game on the way
Barcelona next play Maccabi Tel Aviv at Palau Blaugrana in the penultimate round of the regular season and Willy Hernangomez, who racked up 9 points and 8 rebounds, succinctly summed up what the clash meant to Barcelona in its bid to secure a playoff berth.
Barcelona will be assured of finishing in the top six on Friday in the unlikely event that bottom team ALBA Berlin (5-26) wins at Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (19-12), but Hernangomez had his sights on what should be a titanic tussle with Maccabi.
“It’s going to be like a final,” he commented. “I am really looking forward to it as we’re playing at home where the fans are like an extra man on the court.”
Bayern head coach Pablo Laso acknowledged that his team was left with a mountain to climb after being blown away in the first half. “We played better offensively in the second half and made some shots, so we got back into the game,” said Laso. “However, we played a great team and they found solutions in the right moments.”