After a BBL-free weekend, the next tough home game in the EuroLeague is on the agenda for the Bayern basketball team: on Thursday evening (December 6th), the German champion will meet Khimki Moscow in the Audi Dome starting at 20:30. With three victories in a row, the Russians are the team of the hour. This means that they meet at eye level, as both teams have four victories after ten gamedays. Khimki had to do without top scorer Alexej Shved in their recent win over Panathinaikos Athens. The former NBA-Guard, who is by far their best shooter in the EuroLeague - with an average of 25.3 points and 7.4 assists - will probably be out again due to a finger injury.
In the Bundesliga, the standings leader will compete in Jena on Sunday (9.12., 18:00), before the Lithuanian Final Four participant of 2018, Zalgiris Kaunas, will come to Munich for the next EuroLeague duel next Thursday (14.12., 20:30).
Use of EuroLeague top scorer Shved questionable
Bayern coach Dejan Radonjic: "We certainly have to improve our rebounding against Khimki compared to the game in Tel Aviv. Maccabi showed their best performance of the season against us, but we simply can't allow so many offensive rebounds again. Of course, we've talked a lot about that over the last few days. Shved is without a doubt one of the best teams in the EuroLeague but Khimki is in very good form and very competitive even without him".
FCBB-Forward Vladimir Lucic said about the opponent: "This is a big team with a big budget. Although they probably play without their star, they have already shown their great quality in the last two games without him. This is a group with great individuals and their coach knows how to get trophies. Our game has to start with the hardest defense we can play."
Captain Danilo Barthel added: "After the long and hard journeys with a heavy load, we were now able to focus a little on regeneration and tactics. We worked on the mistakes from the Maccabi game, of course the defeat gnaws at us and we definitely want to do better against Khimki".
Last season Khimki's current stricken leading figure, Shved, set a record for the number of points and threes scored during the regular EuroLeague season. This season he has already been twice the gameday MVP and his current point average is the highest in 15 years. But even without their topscorer, Panathinaikos was downed 76-68. Center Jordan Mickey (12,4 ppg/4,8 rpg) and Forward Anthony Gill (12,2 ppg) can take over. A few weeks ago Shved was also injured in an away game against defending champion Real Madrid, a game they lost only narrowly 79-74.
Khimki Moscow is a relatively young basketball club founded in 1997. But the club established itself at the top of the Russian and European leagues early on: in 2012 and 2015 they won the EuroCup, in 2008 Khimki won the trophy. At their EuroLeague premiere in the 2009/10 season, the Russian runners-up - like ZSKA Moscow still undefeated in the Eastern European VTB League - promptly reached the playoffs. The former FCBB Guard Tyrese Rice (now Bamberg) was elected EuroCup and Finals MVP in 2015. His former teammate and current Bayern three-point specialist, Petteri Koponen was part of the All-EuroCup First Team in 2015.
Upcoming games:
Thu., 6.12., 20:30 h: FCBB - Khimki Moscow (EuroLeague)
Sun, December 9, 18:00: Jena - FCBB (BBL)
Fri, 14.12., 20:30: FCBB - Zalgiris Kaunas (EuroLeague)
Sun., 16.12., 15:00: FCBB - Alba Berlin (BBL)
Wed., 19.12., 20:45: Armani Milan - FCBB (EuroLeague)
Fri, 21.12., 20:00: FCBB - Real Madrid (EuroLeague)
Sun, 23.12., 18:00: FCBB - Alba Berlin (BBL Cup)
Wed., 26.12., 18:00: FCBB - Würzburg (BBL)
Fri, 28.12., 20:30: FCBB - Podgorica (EL/feat. SIDO)
Sun, 30.12., 20:30: Bamberg - FCBB (BBL)