Bayern beats Baskonia 112-109

Valerian, please! On Tuesday evening, FC Bayern Basketball defeated the multiple-time Spanish champion Baskonia Vítoria-Gasteiz after a high-class drama, including overtime, with a score of 112:109 (56:52). This secured their tenth season victory and also the direct comparison. The team led by Pablo Laso, especially in offense and as a team (23 assists), looked transformed compared to the Asvel game. In the nerve-wracking overtime battle, Crunchtime King Lucic contributed seven of his 17 points. Top scorer: Ibaka with 21 points.

Without Bonga and Booker

Within just 44 hours, last year's finalist Olympiakos Piraeus will present themselves at the BMW Park (Thursday, 8:30 pm), and on Monday evening (8 pm), it's BBL time against Oldenburg.

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Bayern played without Booker, Bonga, and Wimberg (all with ankle injuries), with Giffey effectively moving into the starting five. At the beginning, Ibaka was frequently found, and Harris concluded the first quarter after Francisco's dance with a buzzer-beating three-pointer - 25:19. The run extended to 38:25 with three-pointers from Radoncic and Obst (14th minute). The guest then began to hurt FCBB more through transition plays and one-on-one situations.

Crunchtime king Lucic

But defense wins games, right? Against Baskonia's furious top scorer Howard (27 points), the goal was certainly to put up a stop sign, narrowing the score to just 75:74 (29th minute). Up front, Harris worked excellently in the paint, and the game remained tight. In the last seconds of regular play, Bayern did not foul – Miller-McIntyre tied the game with a three-pointer, making it 94:94. In overtime, Weiler-Babb with a courageous three-pointer and the composed Edwards at the line had strong moments, alongside the thriller specialist Lucic (who has now surpassed the 4,000-point mark in FCBB attire), leading to the final score.

Quotes:

Pablo Laso, head coach FC Bayern Basketball: "It was an evening for the shooters. Offensively, we played very well, moved the ball well. We made some difficult shots and missed some easy ones – that's basketball. Baskonia made some tough shots against our defense. I have to compliment my team; it was not an easy evening for us. We're missing some players who are injured. It was a big win because it's tough to beat Baskonia. McIntyre was great tonight, as well as Marcus Howard. It's tough to defend them. (...) Veterans (like Lucic) know how to do it. They have a lot of experience, Lucic in the EuroLeague, Ibaka in the NBA. Both have given us a lot. Serge had cramps in his leg at the end; he gave us all his energy. Very good job from both. Luca understands the game very well; he has helped us a lot, as well as Serge – let's see how it looks in 48 hours. (...) We all discussed it in the locker room after the game: Next time, when we are three points ahead (near the end) – then we foul. We decided that no matter what Pablo Laso says – we foul. Because every basket hurts you. We have to foul at the end."         

Serge Ibaka: "It feels good to be back on the court with the guys. We still have a few guys missing due to injuries, so it was important to be able to help my team today. (...) We knew it wouldn't be easy because they play hard. But we were ready – every time they came, we had an answer."

Vladimir Lucic: "It was already a crucial game for us if we still want to make it to the Play-Ins. Baskonia is a great team; they played very well. They have won some games in the toughest EuroLeague arenas. Defensively, we didn't do the smartest things in the last play of regular time. But it's good that we stayed mentally focused, played together, fought, and I think we deserved the win. (...) I don't have time to train, use games at the highest level to get back in shape, physically and in terms of basketball, and I'm glad I could help my team today."