LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne found its response when it needed it most, edging FC Bayern Munich 76–74 on Wednesday night at LDLC Arena to end a four-game EuroLeague losing streak.
The victory came under difficult circumstances, as ASVEL lost captain Nando De Colo to injury at halftime after he reached a historic milestone early in the game.
De Colo scored back-to-back layups to open the night and, with his second basket, became just the second player in EuroLeague history to surpass 5,000 career points, joining Mike James atop the competition’s scoring elite.
Bayern responded with a strong first-quarter push to lead 22–15, but ASVEL steadied itself defensively in the second quarter, holding the visitors to 16 points and taking a 42–38 advantage into halftime.
Momentum shifted sharply after the break, as Bayern clamped down defensively and limited ASVEL to just nine points in the third quarter. A 0–11 run allowed the German side to build a 62–51 lead entering the final period.
With De Colo sidelined, the burden shifted to the backcourt, where Thomas Heurtel and Glynn Watson stepped forward. Watson opened the fourth quarter with a three-pointer, then added another from deep before creating a basket for Heurtel to keep ASVEL within striking distance.
The closing minutes turned into a possession-by-possession battle. Watson completed a three-point play to cut the deficit to three, then came up with a steal that led to an unsportsmanlike foul and an Armel Traore three-pointer that trimmed Bayern’s lead to 74–73.
Heurtel delivered the decisive moment, calmly knocking down a mid-range jumper over Johannes Voigtmann with 24 seconds remaining to give ASVEL a 75–74 edge.
Defense sealed the outcome. ASVEL forced Bayern into four straight empty possessions to close the game, marking the first time this season the French club held an opponent below 79 points.
Heurtel finished with 15 points, while Watson added 14, nine of which came in the fourth quarter. Traore chipped in 11 points, including the crucial late three.
For Bayern, Spencer Dinwiddie’s 15 points and Stefan Jovic’s 12 led the way, but the German side was held to just 12 points in the final quarter.
ASVEL improved to 4–12 overall and 4–3 at home, continuing to rely on defense in Villeurbanne while still searching for its first road win. Bayern dropped to 5–11 and extended its road losing streak to six games.
Both teams return to action Friday, with ASVEL traveling to Olympiacos and Bayern heading to Monaco.
