Unbelievable! The Bayern basketball team continues to win, securing their third consecutive victory on the twelfth day of the EuroLeague. They triumphed over Olimpia Milan in overtime with a score of 91-84 (76-76, 44-39). In a reunion featuring a quintet of world champions, the leading figure Ibaka saved the hosts with a three-pointer against the Italian champions, forcing the game into overtime. In the extra period, top scorer Carsen Edwards (32) electrified the once again sold-out arena.
FC Bayern Basketball - EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 91:84 (76:76, 44:39)
FCBB:
Carsen Edwars (32 Points), Serge Ibaka (20 Points, 12 Rebounds), Nick Weiler-Babb (14), Sylvain Francisco (11, 4 Assists), Devin Booker (5, 9 Rebounds), Isaac Bonga (5, 6 Rebounds), Niels Giffey (2), Dino Radoncic (2), Nelson Weidemann, Danko Brankovic, Freddie Gillespie, Ivan Kharchenkov
Topscorer Mailand:
Shavon Shields (26 Punkte)
Referee
Sasa Pukl, Uros Obrknezevic, Saso Petek
Attendance
6.500 (Sold out)
Edwards with 32 Points
Without Bolmaro, Lucic, Obst, and Wimberg, Bayern secured their sixth win of the season, thanks in part to clear dominance in rebounding (44-22). The now truly balanced record serves as an early gift for Marko Pesic, who celebrates his 47th birthday on Wednesday.
On Friday, Bayern will face Olympiacos Piraeus, and on Sunday, they will compete in the cup quarterfinals in Bonn.
Ibaka in the final second
At the beginning, Milan moved the ball too freely for open three-pointers (11-18/6.), while Edwards and Ibaka were effective for Bayern - securing the first lead, 19-18 (9.). One-on-one defense was still a work in progress, but they stayed in the game with rebounds. The rhythm was lacking, 29-37, but Bayern fought back with intense basketball, reclaiming the halftime lead. It was Ibaka who beat the buzzer here with a tough left-handed layup.
The defense was more alert now; after a 19-2 run, it was 48-39 (23.). However, that didn't last as six turnovers in the third quarter and Milan's efficiency led to a score of 61-65 (35.).
44:22 Rebounds
The finish had everything: Weiler-Babb took responsibility, Ibaka's three-pointer made it 68-65 - the guest responded with three long-range shots and was close to victory, 68-74. However, Ibaka's outside shot sent the 6,500 fans into a frenzy in the last second before Edwards took charge with eleven points in overtime.
The quotes:
Pablo Laso, Headcoach FC Bayern Basketball: „Congratulations to my players; they did a fantastic job staying mentally engaged until the last play. When we had a lead in the third quarter, Milan played very well with open jump shots. They moved the ball well and looked for mismatches. We ran out of a bit of energy, but we stayed tough and rebounded strongly; that was the key. Key moments were certainly Serge's three-pointer to force overtime and then Carsen in overtime. We didn't have such moments, for example, in Kaunas, but today we did. (...)"
„Confidence is crucial, and when you win like this, you gain it. Victories are important, and we've had two in overtime in the last three games. That gives us confidence. The win today was crucial; the fans pushed us tremendously in tough moments. (...)"
„Carsen not only did a great job because of his scoring, but also because he applied defensive pressure and attacked the basket for others. That was a fantastic performance, and it was crucial for us in overtime. (...) Serge leads my players every day. He is a veteran, and many seasoned players come from the NBA to prove something – he doesn't need to. He just wants to play and show how fit and professional he is. Now, after the game, he's in the weight room, and tomorrow he'll be back here for training. He sets an example, which is not very common. He leads with his work ethic, which we want to further implement in our team. His performance is fantastic.“
Serge Ibaka: „I am genuinely surprised to be chosen as the player of the game because Carsen played very well tonight - I believe he is the true MVP. We really needed this win. We knew Milan was struggling a bit and looking for their rhythm. Our focus was on starting the game aggressively, so they wouldn't come in too confidently. I work on my three-pointer every day, in that moment, I just believed in myself and took the shot.“
Carsen Edwards: „We played very focused today and created good stops, especially towards the end. My team contributed a lot to me scoring so many points today. I am very happy that we won. We need to keep going like this, believe in ourselves, and especially focus on defense.“
Nick Weiler-Babb: „It was a tough game, and in the end, we were able to win the 50:50 plays. It was crucial for us as a team that we won the rebound battle. We played especially well in the second half, preventing them from getting opportunities on offense and securing the rebounds.“
