Turkish Airlines EuroLeague: Bayern Munich Edges Panathinaikos

We’re now in Round 2 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague regular season for 2018-19. Let’s take a quick look at the games that were on tap for October 16th. It was a time for some teams to grab their first wins and for others, their first taste of defeat this season.

FC Bayern Munich 80-79 Panathinaikos Athens

This was the closest and most exciting game for the Round so far. The men from Munich defended their home court to great success and secured their first notch in the win column. Panathinaikos would be the early aggressors and even established 0-7 advantage after the opening whistle. The game was a tightly contested affair but in the end, it would be the hosts that would come through in the clutch to seize victory. Vladimir Lukic would spearhead the charge for Munich thanks to his crafty defense. His team rallied around him from there. Nihad Dedovic paced his team with 19 points.

Now both teams sport identical 1-1 records.

Darussafaka 71-63 Buducnost Podgorica

Darussafaka Istanbul got on the board for the first time in 2018-19 with this much-needed win. Buducnost drops to 0-2. This game was about Zanis Peiners who was the main protagonist in this chapter for the Turkish club. He led them with 15 points, while Stanton Kidd added 12. It was not just about his 15 points though. Peiners rose to the occasion for his team during the critical stages of the game, with an aggressive 3-point play that gave his team control of the match.

A lull in Buducnost’s offensive barrage of 3-point shots opened things up for Darussafaka to take over and from there they managed to hold on for the win.

Maccabi Tel Aviv 86-89 CSKA Moscow

This was a Nando de Colo clinic and he dismantled Maccabi T-A’s defense with precision shooting from beyond the 3-point arc and pretty much from wherever he wanted to put up points on the board. He erupted for 27 points and could not be contained by the hosts. He got a lot of help from Will Clyburn who dropped an 11-point, 10-rebound double-double performance.

This was an expected result as CSKA Moscow has not allowed Maccabi Tel Aviv to sneak a win over them in 12 consecutive non-Final Four encounters.

Herbalife Gran Canaria 87-86 FC Barcelona Lassa

This duel between two Spanish clubs was yet another close game for the round.  The anticipation for an upset was real for Gran Canaria as they hosted Barcelona. Their strong team effort came through in the end and helped them overcome a huge 24-point game from Barca’s Kyle Kuric.

Christopher Evans led the way for Gran Canaria with 19 points. His team’s 21-15 advantage in assists told the tale of how their superior passing game translated into a crucial victory.