Mature Bayern win for Book

The garden party continues, even without a spectacle: With a patiently crafted 87:70 (37:36) win over direct competitor Olimpia Milan, FC Bayern Basketball celebrated their 15th victory of the EuroLeague season on Matchday 25. In front of 11,200 spectators, the squad led by Gordie Herbert compensated for the recent setback of Devin Booker's knee injury.

All the stats from the game

Head-to-Head Advantage for FCBB

The Italian champion (13:12) has now also lost the head-to-head comparison. Captain Lucic led the rebound-strong team not only with 16 points, much like Giffey (also 16). Edwards scored all twelve of his points after halftime, while Voigtmann contributed 13.

Next up in just 45 hours: On Thursday (8:30 PM), Bayern will face Lyon-Villeurbanne, who narrowly lost 66:73 at Red Star on Tuesday.

Edwards & Obst Step Up After Halftime

Bayern missed Booker and once again Napier, forcing them to play a patient half-court game early on (12:8/9’). Milan hit a few threes, while Munich’s shooters struggled to find their rhythm and rarely pushed the pace (32:33/19’). Despite dominating the boards (21:12), Bayern led only narrowly at halftime. On the bright side: Obst and Edwards were scoreless—an unusual sight—but the team was still ahead.

Naturally, Edwards sparked the first run after the break, followed by a Lucic three-pointer—43:36 just 44 seconds into the second half. Lucic and Voigtmann remained key offensive figures, and then Edwards drilled one from VIP range—suddenly, FCBB led 57:43 (26’).

Bayern dominated the third quarter 31:19. Their static opponent was effectively defeated just four minutes later at 75:57.

Quotes:

Gordon Herbert, Head Coach FC Bayern Basketball: “We were a bit sluggish in the first half, lacking pace. But the first three or four minutes of the second half were really strong - we gained momentum, energy, and enthusiasm. Overall, our bench was outstanding today, with Giffey, Obst, and Brankovic, who had his best game of the season so far. When a player like Booker is out, it creates opportunities for others. Voigtmann and Brankovic stepped up and filled his role well. Our rebounding effort was excellent. (...) Danko hasn’t had many chances this year, but he kept a great attitude and worked hard. Now he got his opportunity and made the most of it—I’m happy for him, and he can build on this. (...) Edwards and Obst had zero points at halftime, and we lacked tempo. But with Lucic and Giffey, we can grind it out, play differently, and still win. The first half was tough, but we grabbed 11 offensive rebounds. We didn’t play great, but our work ethic was outstanding. (...) Lucic brings leadership, basketball IQ, and professionalism, along with so many little things that don’t show up in the box score. He talks to the players on the bench, and on the court, he’s like a coach.”

Johannes Voigtmann: “We, especially the big men, had to step up today because Devin wasn’t there, and we owe a lot to him for where we are right now. We came out with the right mindset and did a great job defensively. We controlled the rebounds and created good shots. The third quarter, in particular, was very strong for us.”

Vladimir Lucic: “It feels great to be back and to get this win today. It was a very important game for us. Now we need to recover quickly because an even more crucial game is coming up in less than 48 hours. We started a bit nervously, maybe because we had just lost one of our most important players, Devin Booker, in the last game and only had one day to make adjustments. But we talked a lot in the locker room and, in the end, deserved the win.”

The Next Games of FCBB:

• Thursday, February 6, 20:30: 26th EuroLeague game day, FCBB – Asvel Lyon-Villeurbanne (SAP Garden)

• Sunday, February 9, 15:00: 17th easyCredit BBL game day, Rasta Vechta – FCBB

• Tuesday, February 11, 20:00: 18th easyCredit BBL game day, FCBB – Skyliners Frankfurt (BMW Park)

• Saturday, February 15, 16:00: Cup semi-final, Syntainics MBC – FCBB (in Weißenfels)