The Bayern playmaker made the game-winner with 5 seconds remaining
Shabazz Napier leads Bayern past Virtus, 84-87
FC Bayern Munich improved to 4-2 in the standings with a thrilling 84-87 road win over Virtus Segafredo Bologna on Tuesday at Unipol Arena.
Carsen Edwards led the winners with 26 points. Shabazz Napier added 16 and 7 assists plus the go-ahead three-pointer with 5.0 seconds left. Nick Weiler-Babb scored 14 and grabbed 4 steals, Devin Booker netted 12 points and Elias Harris 11 for Bayern.
For Virtus, which dropped to 1-5 on the season, Toko Shengelia led the way with 21 points, Isaia Cordinier scored 18 and dished 5 assists, Matt Morgan added 15 points and Achille Polonara 13.
Game Videos
Edwards got Bayern going with 4 quick points. Momo Diouf finished a four-chance Virtus offense with a three-point play. Shengelia and Morgan each struck from downtown in an 11-0 run highlighted by Cordinier's show-stopping dunk. Booker scored down low, Diouf hit a jumper and Will Clyburn's put-back slam prompted Bayern to call timeout at 15-6. Shengelia scored in penetration, Edwards followed a three-point play with a layup and Andreas Obst made a jumper to bring the visitors within 19-13. Cordinier stepped up for Virtus but Harris and Napier drew Bayern closer, 25-19, after 10 minutes.
Napier downed a jumper early in the second quarter and Oscar da Silva dunked after which Virtus called timeout at 25-23. Weiler-Babb hit a three-pointer and Napier buried a mid-range shot that Harris followed with a turnaround jumper to boost the margin to 25-30 after a 0-13 run. Virtus was held scoreless for 6 minutes until Shengelia hit free throws. Cordinier swished a fadeaway jumper that Weiler-Babb improved on with a bomb from downtown. Edwards banked in a running shot that Diouf matched with a put-back basket. Booker took over with back-to-back alley-oop dunks to boost Bayern's lead to 33-40 at halftime.
Cordinier and Weiler-Babb traded three-pointers right after the break. Morgan stepped up for Virtus and Shengelia's three-pointer got the crowd involved at 41-43. Edwards answered from beyond the arc and added a driving layup, Booker scored down low and fed Johannes Voigtmann for a layup that made it a double-digit game, 41-52, after a 0-9 run. Booker kept pushing Bayern and Edwards swished an eight-meter shot for a 44-57 Bayern margin. A unstoppable Edwards hit a jumper and a catch-and-shoot triple in transition but Morgan and Clyburn got Virtus closer, 51-62. Clyburn got help from Polonara to get the hosts within 60-68 after 30 minutes.
Polonara buried his second triple and added a backdoor layup to make it 65-68 early in the fourth quarter. Morgan swished a step-back triple and Bayern called timeout at 68-68. Weiler-Babb and Cordinier traded jumpers, then Shengelia's three-pointer completed Virtus's comeback, 73-70, with less than 6 minutes left. Booker dunked again and Napier gave Bayern a 73-75 edge. Cordinier scored in penetration and Polonara did even better with a layup-plus-foul. Edwards rescued Bayern with a driving layup and Napier added free throws to make it 78-79. Shengelia scored off a wild spin move and soon made free throws for an 82-79 Virtus lead with 1:13 left. Weiler-Babb struck from downtown and so did Napier for an 82-85 Bayern margin with 5.0 seconds remaining. Morgan and Harris traded free throws before Morgan missed a catch-and-shoot three-pointer in the game's final possession.