Valencia has been behind the Bayern Basketball players since Friday morning and a very, very exciting Double Week in the EuroLeague lies ahead of them with the last home games of the regular season against Fenerbahce Istanbul and Zalgiris Kaunas. But none of that should matter after returning from the Spanish Mediterranean coast, as head coach Andrea Trinchieri's team first makes a stopover in Hamburg: The Towers welcome the Munich team this Saturday evening.
The game will start at 20:30 in Munich's first ever BBL game in Hamburg, with MagentaSport broadcasting from 20:15.
Sixth in the standings defeated Alba 90-75 on Tuesday
Bayern is focused on fixing their mistakes from their loss in Valencia as well as resting some of their more tired players that are at the final stretch of the regular season. The hosts have had time to prepare since Tuesday, while the FCBB will play its twelfth game in the month of March on Saturday.
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The Towers (14-9 wins) also go into the duel with second-place Bayern (21-4) with the euphoria of the 90-75 victory over Alba. It was their fourth in a row while FCBB won its last seven league games. With a four-win lead over ninth place, coach Pedro Calles' team can almost plan for a first-ever playoff appearance in its second year in the BBL.
Trinchieri's men will have to prepare for an aggressive opponent regardless of the heavy workload - with 9.1 steals, Hamburg averages the most steals per game in the BBL (FCBB: 7.3). Top scorers are 24-year-old Estonian center Maik Kotsar (6.3 rebounds) and U.S. guard Kameron Taylor with 13.8 points per game each. Playmaker T.J. Shorts (13.3 ppg), winger Terry Allen (11.5) and guard Jordan Swing (11.2) round out a dominant quintet. Taylor, Allen (21 each) and Kotsar (20) accounted for 61 of Hamburg's 90 points against Alba. FCBB loanee Marvin Ogunsiepe plays around ten minutes per game (2.4 ppg).
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