Gordon Herbert never holds long meetings after games; he’s not a fan of speeches or lengthy praise right after the final buzzer. On Monday night, the Canadian head coach of Bayern Basketball kept it very brief: "good job" and a collective high-five, and then the players could head to the showers. With a very focused and energetic performance, including solid defense for nearly the entire game, the double winners dominated the cup quarterfinal with a 103-67 victory – leaving the coaching staff satisfied.
This marks the eighth time since their return to the BBL in 2011 that the Munich team has reached the TOP FOUR. They have the chance to win the German Cup for the third consecutive time. Since the first winner, VfL Osnabrück in 1967, only one team has achieved this feat – Bamberg, between 2010 and 2012. Bayern have clearly adopted this cup passion: since 2018, they have won the title four times in seven TOP FOUR editions: in 2018, 2021, 2023, and just last February.
Only 150 Tickets Left for Maccabi
A year later, Bayern will face Weißenfels in the first semifinal of the finals (15/16 February), with Frankfurt and Bamberg, who surprisingly knocked out Berlin, playing the second matchup for a spot in the final. FCBB lost the league game in Weißenfels six weeks ago, right after a EuroLeague double week, 75-79. “They also won in Ludwigsburg after that, so they are a good team,” says Herbert, “we know what’s coming.”
The location of the finals will be announced by the easyCredit BBL in the next two weeks, and a neutral venue is apparently not out of the question.
Bayern’s next task is their eighth EuroLeague home game at the SAP Garden on Thursday (8:45 PM) against Israeli record champions Maccabi Tel Aviv. The visitors, with only four wins before the 15th matchday, have underperformed, but for well-known reasons, they are also missing home games in their own arena this season. However, they confidently won their top domestic league matchup against local rival Hapoel Tel Aviv (with Yam Madar) 97-79 over the weekend.
Bayern expect a sold-out arena for the eighth time, and by Tuesday afternoon, around 150 tickets were still available. The tickets are personalized this time, and visitors will need to present a valid ID upon entry.
FC Bayern's TOP4 Appearances
- 2014: 4th Place
- 2016: Finalist vs. Berlin
- 2017: Finalist vs. Bamberg
- 2018: Final Win vs. Berlin
- 2021: Final Win vs. Berlin
- 2023: Final Win vs. Oldenburg
- 2024: Final Win vs. Ulm
The Next Games of FCBB
-
Thursday, December 12, 8:45 PM: 14th EuroLeague Matchday, FCBB – Maccabi Tel Aviv (SAP Garden)
-
Sunday, December 15, 3:00 PM: 10th easyCredit BBL Matchday, Rostock Seawolves – FCBB
-
Tuesday, December 17, 7:00 PM: 15th EuroLeague Matchday, AS Monaco – FCBB
-
Friday, December 20, 9:00 PM: 16th EuroLeague Matchday, Olimpia Armani Milan – FCBB
-
Sunday, December 22, 4:30 PM: 11th easyCredit BBL Matchday, FCBB – EWE Baskets Oldenburg (BMW Park)