Despite missing key starters Andreas Obst and Isaac Bonga, Bayern showed great backcourt depth to beat Partizan 94-85.
Bayern showed off its backcourt depth against Partizan
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Regular Season
Round 8 of 34
Group Regular Season
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FC Bayern Munich entered its Round 7 game against Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade on a four-game losing streak and needing to turn things around. Coach Pablo Laso opted to give Neils Giffey his first start of the season alongside Carsen Edwards and Leandro Bolmaro in the starting lineup.
Edwards struggled at the beginning of the season, posting a negative PIR in four of his first five games. Things have changed in the last three games, however, in which Edwards averaged 18.0 points and a PIR of 16.0.
Bayern's backcourt stepping up
Edwards was sharp against Partizan, getting 21 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 6 fouls drawn for a PIR of 23. When Partizan built a double-digit lead, Bayern found answers from Bolmaro and Sylvain Francisco, who gave Bayern a big boost off the bench. Francisco had 17 points, matching his season-high, 6 assists and a PIR of 17.
Bolmaro did a little bit of everything to make sure his team had a good chance to win: 9 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. When Partizan rallied from a double-digit margin to get within 85-84 in the next-to-last minute, Francisco stepped up with a critical three-point play and Bolmaro sealed the outcome in style with a one-handed slam. Speaking of guards, Coach Laso gave 17-year-old talent Ivan Kharchenkov some playing time in this game, showing that he is not afraid of giving young players opportunities.
"I think that's important for us, to try to get a new start, so I am happy for our guys but it is a long way to go. I think [the key was] trying to play the game the right way, take shots that were open for me," Edwards said after the game. "We can celebrate right now but next, we have to be ready for the next one."
"It is good to win. We had four losses in a row, so for us to be able to win this game, it was really good. And I feel I had the opportunity to get some points and create for my teamamtes. For me, it was a good opportunity to do what I usually do, and yes, we got the win," Francisco added. "We played hard defense, too, so I am really happy right now."
Shooting the ball better made the difference, too. Bayern buried 13 of 28 three-pointers (81.3%) and limited Bayern to just 8 of 27 shooting from beyond the arc (29.6%). Bayern outrebounded Partizan 39-25, pulling down 13 offensive boards and allowing Partizan to get just 3.