Double-Week, Vol. 3: After a weekend of recovery and two training sessions, the Bayern basketball team has been gearing up since Monday for the next challenge— the third double-game week in the EuroLeague, followed by the BBL top game on Sunday (3 pm/ BMW Park) against Bonn.
The action heats up again in the EuroLeague: On Tuesday (6:45 pm), the Munich team faces a major test at Final Four contender Fenerbahce Istanbul, before hosting the German derby against Alba Berlin on Thursday (8:30 pm) at the SAP Garden.
Fenerbahce holds the same record as the strong-starting Bayern team (6–2). "It’s going to be a tough game against a challenging opponent," says former Fener center Devin Booker, who is thriving in his third season with FCBB (15.1 PPG, 4.5 RPG). "They have a great lineup with many scorers, so we’ll need to be very focused. It’s going to be a big game."
The deep roster of coach Sarunas Jasikevicius, who celebrated the national double in 2024 just like Bayern, has coped well with the loss of Scottie Wilbekin (ACL). The top scorer is last season’s record-holder, Nigel Hayes-Davis (16.5 PPG, 48% from three), followed by the impressive Turkish forward Tarik Biberovic (11.8 PPG) this season. Highly experienced players like EuroLeague champion Nicolo Melli (2017), Serbian bronze medalist Marko Guduric from Paris, Dyshawn Pierre, Sertac Sanli, and the athletic Maccabi addition Bonzie Colson bring individual talent that can turn the game at any moment.
The major summer signing, U.S. guard Wade Baldwin (10.2 PPG, 4 APG), who honed his skills in Munich, recently suffered an injury in their 77-73 win in Lyon. His participation in the Ulker Arena appears to be in doubt.
Head coach Gordon Herbert is keeping his focus on the big picture, saying: “This will be an interesting game and a real benchmark for us against one of the top European teams. I have great respect for Jasikevicius; I already enjoyed watching him as a player, and I appreciate him just as much as a coach. The game will be a good test for us, but also a significant challenge.”
In the Turkish BSL, Fener (5–1) currently trails local rivals Efes and Bursa (both 6–0) by one win. On Sunday, the defending champion secured a 90–82 victory over Manisa (48–41 at halftime), with 15 points from Hayes-Davis, twelve each from Mahmutoglu and Zagars, and ten from NBA-returnee giant center Marjanovic (2.24 m).