Matt Morgan and Isaia Cordinier also had impressive performances for the visitors
Toko Shengelia stars as Virtus stuns Bayern at SAP Garden, 72-82
Virtus Segafredo Bologna caused quite the surprise on Friday night by downing FC Bayern Munich 72-82 at SAP Garden, which is just the second time the German team has lost at home in 11 games this season. Dusko Ivanovic’s charges have now won four of their last six games to improve to a 7-15 record, while Gordie Herbert’s troops have lost four of their last five games and dropped to a 12-10 mark.
Toko Shengelia was at his usual best, posting a team-high 20 points to go with 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 blocks, while he got help from Matt Morgan with 13 points and Isaia Cordinier with 11 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists. Andrejs Grazulis was Virtus’s other double-digit scorer, netting 10 points. Bayern’s Devin Booker was the game’s leading scorer with 21 points, while Shabazz Napier, who suffered an injury in the fourth quarter and eventually had to go back to the locker room, had 14 points and Niels Giffey chipped in with 11 points.
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Booker started the game red hot, scoring 8 points as Bayern raced out to a 10-2 lead. Things worsened for Virtus when Booker’s three swelled the lead to 15-4, but Shengelia, Momo Diouf and Cordinier all helped trim the gap to 16-10 before Shengelia reappeared to make it a four-point ballgame at 16-12. Cordinier’s wing three and a couple of free throws pulled Virtus within one point, 18-17, then Morgan ended the first quarter with a three to make it 18-20.
Andreas Obst restored Bayern’s advantage with a three, 21-20, but Morgan and Shengelia wrestled back the lead for Virtus at 23-25. When Booker scored a fast-break layup to tie the score at 25-25 almost seven minutes into the period, Bayern was winning the quarter 7-5. In the final two minutes before halftime, Marco Belinelli hit a couple of threes and made two free throws to give Virtus a 32-35 advantage at the interval.
It was then the turn of Virtus to start creating some separation, with Rayjon Tucker and Shengelia joining forces to set a 32-40 score. Bayern soon responded with a 5-0 run courtesy of Giffey and Booker, 37-40, but Grazulis and Cordinier were next to shine as Virtus went 39-48 ahead. Carsen Edwards, who was scoreless through the first 23 minutes of the contest, scored four points in an 8-2 run that made it interesting at 47-50, yet the visitors kept finding points inside. A couple of layups by Cordinier and Shengelia arrived before Achille Polonara ended the quarter with a reverse slam to give Virtus a five-point lead, 52-57, entering the final frame.
Napier started the fourth quarter in the best way possible from a Bayern perspective by hitting an off-balanced jump shot from mid-range, but he seemed to do himself some damage and went to the bench. A three-point play by Morgan gave Virtus breathing room at 54-61, then shortly after Edwards picked up his fourth foul and had to go to the bench, which meant Napier had to return. The Bayern guard hit a sidestep three to make it 57-61, but immediately clutched his side and grimaced in pain. Daniel Hackett, Morgan, Polonara and Alsessandro Pajola combined to give Virtus a 12-point lead at 59-71, but a 10-0 run capped by an Edwards three cut it to 69-71 with 2 minutes to play. In the end, though, Shengelia kept finding ways to get to the line as Virtus went on to win 72-82.