The guard has a telling impact on both ends of the floor
Nick Weiler-Babb returned in style as Bayern downed Monaco for very first time
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Shabazz Napier may have earned plenty of plaudits for his game-winning three-pointer in FC Bayern Munich’s 95-94 win over AS Monaco on Tuesday night, but had it not been for Nick Weiler-Babb’s defense on Mike James on the last possession, the visitors could easily have escaped with an epic comeback victory.
A thumb injury sidelined Weiler-Babb for Bayern’s previous two Turkish Airlines EuroLeague contests at Real Madrid and Olympiacos Piraeus – both defeats – yet the 29-year-old guard returned in style to help his team snap a three-game losing streak. It was the club's first-ever win over Monaco, too, having gone 0-7 against the Monegasques since their introduction to the EuroLeague in 2021.
Bayern led by as many as 23 points midway through the second quarter, but Monaco turned the game around and took its first lead (88-90) with 1:25 to go. James took on Weiler-Babb in an iso situation and nailed a mid-range jumper in front of the Germany international to make it 92-94 with just 18 seconds left on the clock. Napier came to the fore on the other end of the floor by drilling a step-back three with 8 seconds remaining, meaning that Monaco would have the last possession of the game.
Enter a locked-in Weiler-Babb, who didn’t allow James to get an open look and forced the EuroLeague all-time top scorer into an airball on a three-point shot.
“It was a tough situation,” Weiler-Babb told EuroLeague TV after the game. “Shabazz hit a big-time shot and on the play right before that, Mike hit a tough one on me. So I took a little pride in getting the stop for the game. Mike is known for making tough shots, so I just had to lock in and do the best I could.”
Weiler-Babb’s contribution was extraordinary on both ends. He finished the game with a season-high 18 points, having gone 4 for 7 from beyond the arc. He also registered 6 assists and 3 steals, earning plaudits by Bayern head coach Gordon Herbert for what was a complete performance at SAP Garden on Wednesday night.
“I’ve said this before: my opinion is that he is the best all-around player in Germany,” Herbert said in the postgame press conference. “I could say that he proved me right today. He’s been out for three weeks. To come back from three weeks out and play like this is pretty amazing.
"He runs the team well. He can organize the game, and I think the biggest thing is that he’s got a purpose on offense and he’s got a presence on defense. He is our best defender. He played tonight with confidence. It’s something you can’t buy at the store – you’ve got to develop it. He shot the ball extremely well.”
Bayern has its glue guy back and it will now be looking to build a winning streak. To do so, the Germans will need to down Virtus Segafredo Bologna at home on Friday night. Already sitting in the playoff spots, a second straight victory could see Bayern climb up the standings again – and Weiler-Babb will make sure to do what it takes for his team to achieve that goal.