Bayern in BBL final sprint against cup opponent Ulm

The EuroLeague season with a total of 39 games is behind the Bayern basketball team, and from now on the full concentration will be on the two BBL competitions. The next highlight is the Top Four for the German Cup in just over a week's time at the Audi Dome in Munich. On the weekend of May 15/16, head coach Andrea Trinchieri's team will first have to face Ulm (Saturday, 16:00.), a possible final against the winner of the second semifinal game of Goettingen vs. Berlin would take place on Sunday. The BBL playoffs start the following week (20.5. at the latest); the schedule will now be determined after this weekend.

Before that, Bayern will be competing for points twice more in the regular season - and with interesting matchups in both cases. This Friday evening (May 7th, 19:00.), the Audi Dome will be the venue for a veritable dress rehearsal for the Cup duel with Ratiopharm Ulm eight days later. On Sunday (May 9, 3 p.m.), the FCBB then has to face league leader Ludwigsburg for the final game. "It's about two titles that we can get," says national player Paul Zipser, "so it won't be hard for us to refocus."

 

Third or fourth place still possible 
The eight playoff participants in the BBL have already been determined, but only first place (Ludwigsburg), second place (Berlin) and eighth place (Bamberg) are fixed. Thus, the first-place team in the regular season will meet the eighth-place Franconians in the best-of-five series. The FCBB is currently third - playoff opponent in the first round would therefore be sixth-place Ulm.

If they win against Ulm or Ludwigsburg, they would remain third in the standings as they hold the tie-breakers over Oldenburg (4th) and Crailsheim (5th).

If they lose both games, Oldenburg (one win less, still at the MBC and against Goettingen) would still pass the FCBB in third place with two wins (or in a still possible three-way tie with the Baskets and Crailsheim); but the FCBB are at least fourth, which means home rights in the first round.

As third, they could meet the winner of the Berlin series in round two (2nd against 3rd).

The kick-off is on Friday against sixth-place Ulm which has accumulated no less than seven wins in a row and can still improve to fifth place with two more victories. The Swabians are led by a trio: Center Osetkowski (13.8 ppg), national player Andreas Obst (13.5/51.5 % threes) and point guard Troy Caupain (13.4/4.2 apg), who has been in good form lately. Ulm his shooting 42.3 percent from three which leads the BBL. 

SCHEDULE