Once around the globe: When the Bayern basketball players return home from Istanbul after the last road game of the EuroLeague main round on Saturday at noon, they will have covered more than 40,000 kilometers in the league alone. On the 29th of the 30 game days, the German champions and coach Dejan Radonjic will compete against the reigning EuroCup champion Darussafaka. While the hosts want to say goodbye to their fans with a home win while at the bottom of the standings, the Munich side could hold onto their theoretical chances for the playoffs with a fifth road win. Finally, the BBL table leader will receive the Spanish representative Gran Canaria on the Friday after next (5 April 5th, 20:00.).
The game will start in Istanbul this Friday (29.3.) at 18:15 and MagentaSport and FC Bayern TV will go live at that time. The next home game in the Audi Dome is already on Sunday (31.3., 16:30) when Bayern will duke it out with playoff candidate Ludwigsburg.
Booker: "We'll see what happens at the end"
Darussafaka Istanbul has not had an easy time of it and have only four wins in the EuroLeague this season. In the TBL (9-12), too, the playoffs are a matter of concern, despite the early change of coaches to Selcuik Ernak. However, three of the four EuroLeague wins came with the former Banvit coach, all at home against Olympiakos Piraeus, Baskonia Vítoria and two weeks ago against Khimki Moscow. They were beaten 85-67 in the Turkish league on Monday, with Nigerian Michael Eric (17) and US professional Jon Diebler (14) their top scorers.
"Darussafaka proved with their victory against Khimki in their last home game that they still play for victories and have the quality to do so," warned coach Radonjic of falling asleep on this team. "We have to control the rebounds against them. We want and have to do our best to win the last away game."
The American Toney Douglas (14,3 ppg) is the top scorer on the season for the Turkish club but he will need a big game to do better than the 116-70 clobbering that Bayern landed on the chin of their opponents earlier this season. "This is another game now, we are aware of that. But of course we want to win there and then we'll see what comes out in the standings," said FCBB-Center Devin Booker. "We know that we won't have it in our hands for the next round, but in Istanbul we have to do our job well."