Bayern takes a 2-0 lead

Bayern is up 2-0 in the playoff quarterfinals, as hoped, but not everything went perfectly for the Bayern Basketball team: Andrea Trinchieri's team needs just one more win to reach the semifinals after a tight 87-85 (55-43) win over BG Goettingen in the sold-out Audi Dome. However, the knee injury to new captain Andi Obst, whose team is already missing captain Lucic as well as Rubit and Hunter, is a cause for concern.

The best-of-five series now shifts to Goettingen where Bayern will fight for a sweep on Sunday (15:00./MagentaSport).

The captain injures his knee

The challenger cleverly took advantage of Munich's inconsistency on defense for one and a half quarters and stayed close throughout (28-24/12th). Before the break, however, FCBB raised the energy level and really got going, driven by center Cheatham (10 points), Obst (11) and Weiler-Babb (12).

After the Obst injury, who slipped on the floor (25th), his colleagues on the court understandably struggled to keep their poise and suddenly it was 63-63. Goettingen sensed their chance, but as a collective and with the 6,500 fans behind them they solved the difficult task and took home the win. The last free throws were converted by top scorer Cash Winston (13).

Score per quarter Bayern - Goettingen: 24-23, 31-20, 14-23, 18-19

Stats: Two-point shooting: 56% (FCBB) // 46% (Göttingen); Three-point shooting: 46% // 56%; Free-throw shooting: 70% // 76%; Rebounds: 31//30; Assists: 18//19; Turnovers: 14//11.

Quotes:

FCBB head coach, Andrea Trinchieri:"I think that Andi Obst's injury hit us very hard emotionally. I felt that the team collapsed like a flat tire at that moment. Andi is an important player for us and seeing him limp off the floor killed our momentum. But the most important thing is that it's 2-0 now. Everything else doesn't matter now. (...)

We had a very good first half, then we came too slow into the third quarter and with Andi's injury everyone was shocked because we already have Lucic, Rubit and Hunter out. That was too much at that moment. But then we were able to pull away to plus ten with 2:50 minutes to go. Two ball turnovers, two 50-50 balls, a foul after a great defensive sequence and a couple of baskets from them later and the opponent then had the belief to win. It was a one-possession game. But I expected that when you have rookies who have never played in Europe. In the first game they were strong, in the second they couldn't find a rhythm and they drifted to the dark side. That happens and it's very good that we're still 2-0 up now. We know how hard it will be on Sunday, they have great fans and a great energy in their arena. We have to have the right attitude there and raise the level again."

Isaac Bonga: "I think Goettingen got a little momentum when Andi Obst had to come off the court. That's when they started a little run and started playing faster and more physical. The good thing is that we were able to keep a cool head until the end, focus on the details and win the game. In the end, we always have the guys on the floor who can defend well, of course, but also have the best feeling at the time. It was hard to keep the game in our hands. But I think we did a good job of that."

Goettingen head coach, Roel Moors: "The game was decided at the end. I have to be proud of my players, they gave everything. We came back after being behind. That's very strong here in Munich. In the next game we will be ready. (...) Last time I talked about a deserved win, this game could have gone either way. In every game we can learn something as coaches. I learned today that in the summer I need to read the rules again very, very intensively, because obviously I don't know them. That's all I'm taking away from this game: That I obviously need to get better at that."

Game recap:

Nick Weiler-Babb, Andi Obst, Isaac Bonga, Niklas Wimberg and Freddie Gillespie started the game for head coach Andrea Trinchieri. They paid back the trust directly in the first minute with a 6-0 run. But, as feared in the pre-game by general manager Marko Pesic, the intensity from Goettingen was higher than some 45 hours earlier. Geno Crandall got his team going with eleven quick points and took the lead (14-10 from FCBB's point of view/5th minute). Bayern had to up the ante as well if they wanted to win at home. Niels Giffey did that in exemplary fashion as he rushed to help on defense just in time to collect one of his rare blocks. Zylan Cheatham also ventured into unfamiliar territory with a three-pointer, bringing his team back ahead 24-23 in an even first quarter.   

Only 54 seconds were enough for Trinchieri in the second ten minutes to immediately interrupt the game with a timeout. The guests were scoring far too easily but that changed after the talking to from coach Trinchieri. Suddenly the hands were in front of the Goettingen faces and they were unable to take easy shots. Offensively, the ball was running better now, too, opening up opportunities for Weiler-Babb and Obst to take a lead 36-32 (14th). Crandall had16 points by the break but as a team, the hosts became stronger and stronger. 65 percent of the shots from the field found their target. The best example: a steal by Giffey, which led via Obst to a thumping dunk by Cheatham. The reward was an 11-0 run and a double-digit lead at halftime (55-43).

Obst hobbles off and Goettingen takes advantage

As spirited as the first half ended, the second began tenaciously. Both teams struggled to score a meager two points in more than three minutes. Roel Moors' team tried desperately to regain control of the game and they succeeded with two passes to center Harper Kamp who put the ball home for points. Then came the moment of shock for Bayern when Andi Obst twisted his ankle and had to go to the locker room supported by the coaching staff - 57-51 (24th). The team was slow to recover from the shock and the Lower Saxons took advantage and equalized with a three-pointer by Till Pape (60-60/28th). Bonga sent an important sign of life with his steal and finsih but everything was open again for the final quarter - 69-66.

Göttingen ties it up but Munich gets the last attempt

In the last ten minutes it was Bonga who set the tone as with his attacks into the zone, he gave Munich  a little breathing room. The Trinchieri team was also focused again on defense and forced three turnovers in a row - timeout Roel Moors (76-67/34th). The flow in the Goettingen game visibly disappeared and it took them more than five minutes to score from the field in the fourth quarter. The FCBB on the other hand, kept finding solutions on their way to the basket. But the guests adjusted and came back with a final surge. Crandall tried to fix everything on his own, which succeeded again and again from the half court offense. With 22 seconds left, the top scorer tied it up but then Cash Winston took it strong to the hoop with everything he had in the last attack of the game - and was fouled. With 3.3 seconds on the clock, he converted the first shot, missed the second, but secured the rebound and won the game - 87-85.