Nick Weiler-Babb, Andreas Obst and Carsen Edwards could not be stopped
Bayern’s three-pronged monster wreaked havoc against Zalgiris
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Just a couple of weeks ago, FC Bayern Munich head coach Gordie Herbert declared that Nick Weiler-Babb is “the best all-around player in Germany”. The 29-year-old showed in Round 24 on Thursday night just why.
Weiler-Babb did a bit of everything as Bayern thrashed Zalgiris Kaunas 82-97, finishing with a season-high 34 PIR after posting 14 points, a career-high 13 assists, and tying his season high in rebounds with 7. He also had 2 steals and finished with zero turnovers, despite those 13 dimes.
For the entire night, Weiler-Babb was playing the role of puppet master, dictating the play and finding his teammates with ease. Even when he wasn’t credited with an assist, he was central to everything good from a Bayern perspective.
Zalgiris simply had no answer for the Germany international, and the same can be said for Bayern’s two electric scorers – Andreas Obst and Carsen Edwards.
Edwards took a little while to get going, scoring just 3 points in the first quarter, but in the absence of the injured Shabazz Napier, he knew that he would need to step up. A further 8 points came in the second, before he added another 13 to his tally in the third to sit on 24 points entering the final period. As it turned out, that was his night done.
Why? Bayern held a 12-point advantage after 30 minutes, leading 59-71, and it had another trick up its sleeve: the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague’s answer to Stephen Curry, Mr. Obst.
Having already broken the EuroLeague record for most three-pointers made in a game with 11 back in Round 11, it looked like Obst might be on course for a spectacular finish inside Zalgirio Arena.
With Weiler-Babb finding him with delightful passes, Obst – who entered the fourth period on 11 points, having made 3-of-4 threes – went a perfect 4 for 4 in a little over four minutes to begin the final frame. That helped turn a 59-71 lead into a 68-86 margin, which all but put the game to bed.
Obst did begin to cool off a little afterward, going 1 for 4 in the remainder of the fourth to finish 8 for 12, but his presence on the floor and Weiler-Babb’s vision were causing the Zalgiris defenders to quake in their boots.
Bayern eventually came away with an 82-97 victory, with Zalgiris – the No. 1 defense in the EuroLeague – giving up its second most points this season. Coach Herbert’s men, however, have now scored 97 points in seven different games this season and in back-to-back games, having erupted for 99 in an 84-99 derby win at ALBA Berlin last week.
With just 10 games to go in the regular season, Bayern is looking a good bet for a place in the postseason – and its three-pronged offensive monster of Weiler-Babb, Obst and Edwards are a big reason why.