An exciting game ends with a 106-111 loss

The streak came to a heartbreaking end: Despite an outstanding performance, FC Bayern Basketball lost 106–111 after overtime (45–51, 99–99) at Maccabi Tel Aviv on Thursday evening, narrowly missing a fifth straight EuroLeague win. The German champions were able to compensate for new personnel vacancies in a fascinating offensive duel in front of 10,400 spectators, with a total of 35 three-pointers from both teams (tying the EuroLeague record), but the team around the long-brilliant top scorer Andi Obst (33 points) was missing a few seconds and the strength on the very last shots.

On Sunday, the BBL leaders travel to Jena for their next away game, before Fasching Tuesday (6:30 p.m.) sees a dress rehearsal against Frankfurt at BMW Park for the cup semifinal the following Saturday (Feb. 21, 4 p.m./SAP Garden) against Bamberg.

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Full boxscore

Lucic stand-in Giffey keeps Bayern in it

Bayern had personnel absences to cope with in Tel Aviv: Jovic, da Silva, and captain Lucic were all missing due to a flu-like infection.

Noise and hustle from the start; it was not easy to get into this tough game. The plan to attack the rim was first executed by Hollatz, then Giffey with hang time plus a three, 14–16 (6'). The deficit from three up to that point (2–6) and mistakes due to Maccabi’s physicality, however, led to a 20–33 (12').

Obst in succession

The response was an 8–0 run, Obst twice; although Maccabi continued to shoot strongly (42–32), the visitors stayed in the game—Giffey again, 40–42 (19'). The problems at halftime, besides Tel Aviv’s three-point percentage (12/20), were the loose balls; Maccabi pounced (11–1 offensive rebounds).

Obst vs. Maccabi was then the matchup in the third quarter; the Munich champion traded long-range blows with the hosts (64–60/25'). The defense got stops—and Gabriel, Jessup, and Obst with his seventh three (7/9) made it 73–69 (29')! Blatt (6/6) answered, but Dimitrijevic had the penultimate word at the buzzer, 78–74 (30').

99–98, 9.6 seconds left

Final quarter: as the energy waned, so did concentration; a 0–9 to 80–83 (33'). Mayes helped out, Hollatz made it 90–90, and a gripping fight headed into crunch time: 95–95—and the daredevil Obst actually missed two free throws (1:41 min). One last turnover by Dimitrijevic seemed to seal the night—but with a three-and-one, the guard silenced the crowd in return.

99–98, 9.6 seconds left. Foul, only one for Maccabi; a deserved overtime for this fireworks display of a game. Bayern then made a few more mistakes here, including at the free-throw line. A little drama that was still fun.

Quotes: 

Svetislav Pesic, Cheftrainer FC Bayern Basketball: 

“An excellent game from both teams. I am proud of my team. Both teams would have deserved to win. Thirty-five threes, a record in the EuroLeague—I have never seen a game with such good three-point percentages. It was a spectacle in Tel Aviv, a great game for the fans, the players, for us. Of course we’re not happy, but we’re pleased with how we kept control here. We had the chance to win in regulation. This isn’t meant as an excuse, and it isn’t one, but at the end of the game, with this intensity and after the season so far, we would have needed one or two more players for the rotation—important players among those who weren’t available. But for our future this season, on the other hand, it was important for me to see how other players from the bench can help the team. (…)

We can certainly play better on defense. But I can’t say anything negative about my team today. They believed that we could win. And if we had won, it would likewise have been deserved. (…) We now have two Bundesliga games in three days, then the cup. And then we’ll think about our further fate in the EuroLeague.”

Niels Giffey:

“We’re definitely frustrated right now, but this was by no means a bad game from us. We put a lot of energy into the game; it could just as well have gone the other way. In the end, they simply shot excellently from the outside overall. They made a few adjustments compared to the first game. We focused more on preventing too much penetration into the paint—and against that, they hit extremely well from outside.”