The FC Bayern basketball team lost its first game of the best-of-five series at Crailsheim and thus missed an early entry into the playoff semifinals: Head coach Andrea Trinchieri's team lost 96-82 due to an extremely weak start and thus the hosts of Game 3 cut the deficit to 1-2.
The fourth duel will take place on Tuesday, 20:30 (MagentaSport), again in Ilshofen.
Bayern, who was missing Vladimir Lucic, started with completely insufficient intensity on both sides of the floor and fell down 28-13 (7th) and 32-19 áfter one quarter. Turnovers then prevented a closer result, at 54-35 at the break the deficit was at its highest level. After the change, the FCBB presented itself with different body language, but despite a short spurt (57-47/24th), the shots did not fall frequently enough in contrast to the high-percentage hitting Merlins (14 threes) - the mortgage of the first half was too big.
Lucic took a break for the Munich team as a precaution after he had twisted his ankle badly on Friday night and was still feeling pain; however, nothing was damaged in his left ankle. Captain Nihad Djedovic played his first minutes in months.
Crailsheim Merlins – FC Bayern Basketball 96-82 (54-35)
FCBB:
Wade Baldwin (22 Points/6 Assists/5 Rebounds), Paul Zipser (16), D.J. Seeley (15), Jalen Reynolds (10), James Gist (9), Leon Radosevic (4), JaJuan Johnson (3), Zan Mark Sisko (3), Jason George, Nihad Djedovic und Robin Amaize.
Top scorer Crailsheim:
Trae Bell-Haynes (34 Points)
Referee
Anne Panther, Christof Madinger, Johannes Hack
Points per quarter Bayern - Crailsheim: 19-32, 16-22, 21-18, 26-24
Stats: Two-point shooting: 57% (FCBB) // 60% (Crailsheim); Three-point shooting: 47% // 56%; Free-throw shooting: 75% // 80%; Rebounds: 22 // 26; Assists: 15 // 18; Turnovers: 15 // 16.
Quotes:
Andrea Trinchieri: "Congratulations to Crailsheim, they totally deserved to win. We had a very lax and superficial start to the first quarter, so we gave them a lot of confidence. They started so fast, hitting every shot, so this game became very difficult. We lost the game in the first five minutes, one hundred percent. We were not ready to fight, to perform, we didn't play defense, we were sloppy. It was a very poor performance, without any pride and any desire to play hard. We will see in the fourth game if my players have pride."
Game Recap:
Two days after the second win (83-79), Bayern started with Wade Baldwin, D.J. Seeley, Paul Zipser, JaJuan Johnson and Leon Radosevic in the first win-or-go-home game for Crailsheim. Midway through the first quarter, Crailsheim was already in front by double digits (18-7/6th). From Bayern's point of view, the only pleasing thing in the first quarter was the long-awaited comeback of record player Nihad Djedovic (23-11/8th). However, the fifth-place finisher in the regular season and top scorer Trae Bell Haynes (34 points) were hardly to be stopped as he helped the great start by scoring ten points already in the first quarter - 28-13.
Finally, Bayern - led by point guard Baldwin - got into the game and came back within single digits (35-27/14th). But the Munich team could no keep t up. A three-pointer by the best man from game two, Seeley, and a half-distance jumper by Johnson gave Bayern renewed hope for a conciliatory end to a lousy first half shortly before the break (47-35/19th). A little later, a lack of concentration on the throw-in after a Crailsheim three-pointer caused a quick 5-0 run by the home team. Trinchieri had to speak to his team again 27 seconds before the break.
The guests came out of the dressing room much improved, started a 10-2 run with two Zipser threes and points by Seeley and James Gist (56-45/23rd). Defensively, in particular they increased the intensity but the Cup winners still could only come within ten (57-47/24th). The Hakro Merlins started a 7-0 run and pulled away again (66-49/27th). Baldwin stole the ball and finally scored again for FCBB after almost four minutes without points.
At the beginning of the final quarter, the guests forced the Merlins to lose the ball, but offensively the engine continued to falter. Only Jalen Reynolds, who scored all ten of his points in this quarter delivered counters and provided one of the few offensive highlights of the FCBB with a successful and one (77-67/36th). Bayern still couldn't get closer than ten points. The Crailsheim Merlins deservedly celebrated their first ever playoff win given their strong shooting percentage and force game four next Tuesday.
Photo credit: Stickel, dieLichtbuilder
