**Missed shot at buzzer avoids Bayern upset**

FC Barcelona capped a successful two-round week with a hard-fought 72-70 home win over FC Bayern Munich to make it two out of two after overpowering Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv 83-78 on Tuesday, improving to 15-8 and staying firmly on course to reach the playoffs.

Veteran Nikola Mirotic paced Barcelona with 12 points and Cory Higgins added 9, including the go-ahead mid-range shot with 22.3 seconds left on the clock which decided the dramatic contest. Center Jan Vesely posted 10 points and 9 rebounds and Sertac Sanli also racked up 10 points including a pair of three-pointers. Nick Weiler-Babb led Bayern with a game-high 15 points, Ognjen Jaramaz chipped in with 12 and Augustine Rubit scored 10 for the short-handed visitors, who missed several key players through injury and head coach Andrea Trinchieri through bereavement.

After an even start with the score tied 10-10 midway through the first quarter, Barcelona looked set for plain sailing on its Mediterranean coast as a 7-0 streak put it in control. The hosts were 21-14 ahead at the end of the first period, with Sanli and Mirotic dominating the scoring while Tomas Satoransky dished out 4 assists. However, Bayern hit back superbly in the second quarter with Weiler-Babb pulling the strings and Niklas Wimberg stepping up to slam dunk followed by a three-pointer. Bayern’s disciplined approach allowed the visitors to slash a 32-24 deficit to just one point at halftime (34-33), with Barcelona lacking ideas in offense late in the first half.

Bayern nosed ahead 38-36 early in the third quarter before an 8-0 run by the home side turned the tide, but Barca was far from comfortable as Bayern replied with 5 unanswered points, holding its own for the remainder of the period to head into the fourth with only a 4-point deficit. Then came Barcelona’s best spell of the game as it carved out a 63-51 lead midway through the final period, with Vesely dominating the paint and both ends while the backcourt players hit some long-range shots to put the home team in the driving seat. However, Barcelona was far from home and dry as Weiler-Babb and Jaramaz nailed huge triples to force a dramatic climax, as Bayern cut the gap to 67-65 before Mirotic nailed a contested three-pointer off the glass at the other end.

Bayern still refused to roll over as Jaramaz nailed a triple and a pair of free throws to tie the score before Higgins somehow squeezed in the game-winning shot. Jaramaz could have won it for Bayern on the buzzer but his long three with an opponent in his face was off the mark.

Game Videos

Game News

Barcelona claws past Bayern, 72-70

FC Barcelona v FC Bayern Munich (2023-02-02T19:30:00.000Z)

### Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv head coach Oded Kattash:

"That was a big one for us. We beat a great team - especially here where they have been playing excellently and we knew it wouldn’t be easy. The first half we were late on everything. We let them run. After 5 minutes we started the game but they played with a really high tempo. We were down 10 at halftime after giving up 55 points. We came out for the second half with the right attitude, with the right amount of effort. We made some tactical adjustments to slow them down, and I am really proud of the guys. That was a big one for us."

### Valencia Basket head coach Alex Mumbru:

"I think we played a good first half. We shared the ball properly. We played our basketball and had good options on offense. But in the second half, Maccabi played at a high level on defense and too many things happened in the first 4-5 minutes of the third quarter. We lost the advantage quickly. It’s true we suffered throughout the game on rebounds - 40-22 - and it’s very hard to compete in basketball when you have that gap in rebounds. But we believed and came back into the game. We had chances until the end and we had the shot to win the game. But in the end, these kinds of games are decided by small details: the free throw we didn’t make, the foul to give we had but didn’t use. And those small details helped Maccabi get the win."

### Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv forward Bonzie Colson:

"We needed to regroup at the half, especially how we came out. We came out pretty soft. We let them get easy buckets. The second half, we just wanted to put an emphasis on playing hard, hitting them first and being aggressive. We did that. It was a great team win. We needed it man. We’ve been battling a little bit on the road. Hopefully, we can continue this. It shows the character of our group. We don’t give up. We are missing some players, guys are coming in and giving us great minutes. It shows our character but we have to use this going forward."

 

### Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv guard Wade Baldwin:

"I was disgusted tonight. I think I had a disgusting performance. The ending was as bad as it gets on my end. But I have to give a lot of credit to my team and the coaching staff for keeping the positive energy throughout the entire game. I think we kept it up in the second half, got some stops, got some huge rebounds. Jarell Martin did a lot of little things to help us win. Bonzie \[Colson\] did a lot of things to help us win. Our captain John DiBartolomeo stepped up again. We finally got a road win. It’s been a long journey, and we are happy we finally got it."

Bonzie Colson, Maccabi: 'We have to use this going forward'

Valencia Basket v Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (2023-02-02T19:30:00.000Z)

### EA7 Emporio Armani Milan head coach Ettore Messina:

"I decided to cut the rotation and I took this risk because I thought it was the right thing to do against their very aggressive defense, to always have three ball-handlers on the court. Because of this, I had a tired team in the end. It’s my responsibility, I must trust more in my bench and I will do it because I usually do. We will continue to improve.

"\[Napier\] probably gives us a bit of confidence, to the team, to the players, allows also Devon to come back to his natural position and make big plays. Devon really made big plays tonight, like he has done many times, so yeah he is helping us find balance."

### Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade head coach Dusko Ivanovic:

"Congratulations to Milan. They played 40 minutes better than we did. I think that, especially our second quarter was not good but finally we had some chances to win the game, but we lost, one more time, but we still have many games to play, and with patience, we will see."

### EA7 Emporio Armani Milan guard Billy Baron:

"I think it was a great one for us. They are very good team and we knew they would keep battling, so they came back but again we showed our character and we were able to make some big plays down the stretch offensively and defensively."

 

### EA7 Emporio Armani Milan guard Devon Hall:

"I think it was, for sure, a collective win. We feel good about it. We were pretty good on the defensive end. To win a double week feels good for us. I just try to do as much as I can. We want to win, so whatever it is I got to do, I’m doing it. We want to win, and we need some wins."

Billy Baron, Milan: 'We showed our character'

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan v Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (2023-02-02T19:30:00.000Z)

### FC Barcelona head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius:

"Exactly what we expected before the game. It’s always like this with Bayern, you can never take them out of the game. They insist and they are patient, they decide their possessions in the last 4 or 5 seconds. Mentally it’s very tough if they start hitting those shots in the last 5 seconds, especially the difficult ones. We prevailed and that’s the most important thing.

"I hope the team grows from \[winning both games this week\]. We need to find our most solid version. That’s what we are searching for at this point of the season – not to give away easy points or make crazy mistakes. This is what we need, solid."

### FC Bayern Munich assistant coach Adriano Vertemati:

"Congratulations to Barcelona. I am proud of the team, we fought to the last possession and had a chance with the last possession. We didn’t give up when we were down by 12 points, so all the credit to the players and we move on.

"We wanted a three-point shot \[on the last ppossession\]. We wanted a different matchup on the ball but we weren’t able to create it. Of course, we didn’t want to attack Kalinic, but it happens.

"We have to think game by game, we have to get better and as our head coach is always saying, we will see at the end of the regular season. We want to compete, we want to fight every game and finish the regular season as best we can."

### FC Barcelona center Jan Vesely:

"We were up in the last quarter, we should have finished the game much better, not to give them the chance to win the game or go to overtime.

"\[Passing Paulius Jankunas for fourth on the PIR all-time list\] is a good accomplishment, but I like to play team basketball more. My teammates have helped me reach this down the years but let’s go, we have to continue."

### FC Barcelona guard Rokas Jokubaitis:

"Difficult week, both games, we didn’t win the way we were supposed to. We had a plus-10 and plus-12 lead and we lost it, so that’s the things we can be better for sure. But two out of two wins in a EuroLeague double week is very important, that’s for sure. We are happy with the win and we’re waiting for the next game. We don’t know who will be in the top eight this year and to be in the top four teams and have the home-court advantage \[in the playoffs\] is very important."

Sarunas Jasikevicius, Barcelona: 'It’s always like this with Bayern'

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Live Blog: Maccabi holds on in Valencia; Barca, Milan triumph at home

Head coach Andrea Trinchieri will not be in attendance when FC Bayern Munich visits FC Barcelona in Round 23 on Thursday evening due to a bereavement, the club announced. Bayern will be led by assistant coach Adriano Vertemati.

 

On Tuesday night, Bayern lost 82-73 on the road at Valencia Basket in its first game of this double-round week. The team will look to try and respond to that defeat up the coast in Barcelona this Thursday evening.

 

Euroleague Basketball extends its condolences to Coach Trinchieri.

<center>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">For tonight‘s game against Barca his coaching staff around assistant Adriano Vertemati will stand in for him.</p>&mdash; FC Bayern Basketball (@FCBBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBBasketball/status/1621177036244160514?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Andrea Trinchieri to miss Bayern's game at Barcelona

FC Bayern Munich forward Augustine Rubit has been named the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague MVP of the Month for January, becoming the club's first-ever player to earn this accolade. Rubit discussed earning MVP of the Month honors, Bayern's upturn in form in the month of January and the confidence he feels from Andrea Trinchieri, as well as the level of quality in this season's EuroLeague.

Augustine Rubit, Bayern: 'The most competitive league in the world'

Round 23 will see a number of significant showdowns in the race for the playoffs, including three games between teams separated by just one win. Here's your guide to Thursday and Friday's games.

[FC Barcelona vs. FC Bayern Munich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/fc-barcelona-fc-bayern-munich/E2022/199/)

After suffering a narrow defeat at Valencia on Tuesday, Bayern (9-13) will complete its week in eastern Spain by travelling up the coast to face third-placed Barcelona (14-8). Bayern will be led by in-form guard Cassius Winston, who has averaged 15.8 points and 4.8 assists over the last five games. Barca gained confidence with a hard-earned home win over Maccabi two days ago, and Sarunas Jasikevicius will now demand consistency from his players in what will surely be a physical game.

[EA7 Emporio Armani Milan vs. Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/ea7-emporio-armani-milan-crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade/E2022/200/)

Milan (7-15) will look to keep climbing the standings by making it two wins in three days with a visit from Zvezda (10-12), which needs to revive its playoffs push after losing three in a row. Versatile big man Johannes Voigtmann was key to Milan's victory over Baskonia on Tuesday, scoring in double digits (16 points) for the first time this season and also grabbing 8 rebounds, while Zvezda needs to boost its offense after averaging just 72 points during its three-game losing run.

[Valencia Basket vs. Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/valencia-basket-maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv/E2022/201/)

A crucial clash in the race for the playoffs takes place at La Fonteta on Thursday, when eighth-placed Valencia (12-10) welcomes one of the teams immediately below in the standings, Maccabi (11-11). The Israeli team won the first meeting between the teams with a blowout, 84-68, so Valencia is unlikely to claim the head-to-head advantage. But the host – which is the hottest team in the league with five straight wins – knows that another victory would secure a two-game margin and its place in the top eight.

[Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul vs. ALBA Berlin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul-alba-berlin/E2022/202/)

On paper, rock-bottom ALBA (6-16) would appear to be the ideal opponent for Fenerbahce (13-9) to snap its two-game losing run in Friday's opening tip-off. But this EuroLeague season is more competitive than ever before and no outcome can really be regarded as a "shock", so there's no room for complacency from Dimitris Itoudis's team against an ALBA squad which has lost four straight. Fener will be desperate to find early offensive fluency after losing the first quarter 12-25 and 10-24 in respective recent losses to ASVEL and Olympiacos.

[Zalgiris Kaunas vs. Partizan Mozzartbet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/zalgiris-kaunas-partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade/E2022/204/)

Zalgiris (12-10) is in danger of dropping out of the playoffs places after losing its last two games, and will be overtaken by direct rival Partizan (11-11) if the Serbian team can end the host's four-game winning streak in Kaunas. Partizan won the Round 5 meeting between the teams in Belgrade, 87-76, behind 26 points from Kevin Punter, who also hit 22 points to down ASVEL earlier this week. His shooting will be a key factor in determining the outcome on Friday.

Round 23 at a glance: AS Monaco vs. Real Madrid

[AS Monaco vs. Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/as-monaco-real-madrid/E2022/203/)

A major showdown takes place in the principality, with joint-third Monaco (14-8) aiming to overtake co-leader Real (15-7). A home win would give Monaco the head-to-head advantage after a crazy win in Madrid in December, when a wild four-point play by Mike James forced overtime. James has led the red-hot Monaco offense to score 94, 101 and 102 points in its last three games. Real needs another big night from its scoring leader, Dzanan Musa, who has registered double-digits in 19 games this season and netted 24 points in that game against Monaco.

[Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/olympiacos-piraeus-anadolu-efes-istanbul/E2022/205/)

High-flying Olympiacos (15-8) will look to take a significant step in the quest to secure a top-four finish by downing inconsistent reigning champion Efes (11-11) – which has won just one of its last five on the road – at a sold-out Peace and Friendship Stadium. Olympiacos has been receiving great backcourt leadership from Thomas Walkup, who averages 6.4 assists in the last five games, and his intense defense against Efes stars guards Vasilije Micic and Shane Larkin will be crucial for the Reds in this playoffs-style matchup.

Round 23 at a glance: Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul

[Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs. Panathinaikos Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/cazoo-baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz-panathinaikos-athens/E2022/207/)

Baskonia's (12-10) place in the top eight is in peril after a run of five losses in six games, and will face a hungry opponent as Panathinaikos (8-14) looks to boost its fragile playoffs ambitions. Baskonia is looking for revenge after suffering a 98-83 loss in Athens in Round 7, when Georgios Papagiannis gave his team control of the paint with a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds. And the Spanish team needs to improve its defense after allowing its opponent to score at least 83 points in each of the last seven games.

[LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne vs. Virtus Segafredo Bologna](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/ldlc-asvel-villeurbanne-virtus-segafredo-bologna/E2022/206/)

The week's action concludes with a meeting between two ambitious clubs as ASVEL (8-14) welcomes Virtus (10-12). A highlight will be the backcourt duel between former teammates Nando De Colo and Milos Teodosic, who shone together as they led CSKA Moscow to the title in 2016. Teodosic is still delivering classy performances, with 9 assists in victory over Zvezda earlier this week, while De Colo remains the key offensive weapon for ASVEL with an average of 13.6 points per game.

Round 23: Double-round roars to a finish

Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v Panathinaikos Athens (2023-02-03T19:30:00.000Z)

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne v Virtus Segafredo Bologna (2023-02-03T20:00:00.000Z)

Olympiacos Piraeus v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2023-02-03T19:00:00.000Z)

Zalgiris Kaunas v Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2023-02-03T18:00:00.000Z)

AS Monaco v Real Madrid (2023-02-03T18:00:00.000Z)

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v ALBA Berlin (2023-02-03T17:45:00.000Z)

Turkish Airlines EuroLeague co-leaders Olympiacos Piraeus have announced a new club record by selling out Peace and Friendship Stadium for the fourth consecutive time and fifth overall this season for Friday's game against defending champion Anadolu Efes Istanbul.

 Olympiacos marks fourth straight sellout for Efes visit 

Turkish Airlines EuroLeague co-leaders Olympiacos Piraeus have announced a new club record by selling out Peace and Friendship Stadium for the fourth consecutive time and fifth overall this season[ for Friday's game against defending champion Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/olympiacos-piraeus-anadolu-efes-istanbul/E2022/205/).

Olympiacos sold out its three previous EuroLeague games – against EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, Real Madrid and Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv – and it is no coincidence that the Reds won all three games to remain undefeated at home in 2023.

Efes makes its first visit to Piraeus since downing Olympiacos in last season's EuroLeague semifinals. In a game that went down to the wire, Efes edged Olympiacos 74-77 on a buzzer-beating three-point shot by Vasilije Micic.

The last time these teams met at Peace and Friendship Stadium, the game was also decided at the buzzer in what was another instant classic. That time, Olympiacos needed overtime to edge Efes 87-85 on a game-winning three-pointer by Kostas Sloukas. 

Both teams have retained the same core of players, which makes this showdown even better. Don't miss it! 