Bayern to host Top Four on Saturday in semi-final against Ulm

A month ago, the Bayern basketball players were already in the locker room and had finished changing to warm up a good hour before the scheduled tip-off at the Audi Dome - before the news came of the last-minute cancellation of the game due to two positive corona tests from Goettingen. Eventually the tournament was rescheduled. This weekend of the Munich Top Four for the German Cup will hopefully be staged on the second attempt, with the FCBB having their semifinal on Saturday against good acquaintances: The regular season sixth-place team from Ulm who they met only a week ago and got destroyed shortly after their EuroLeague farewell.

The duel on Saturday is now likely to be a closer game while in the other semifinal Berlin is clearly favored against BG Goettingen. Bayern has at least enjoyed the luxury of a short week of preparation this time and will be fielding their best lineup possible. A week ago against Ulm they rested Baldwin, Lucic, Reynolds, Sisko and Zipser. The injured guards Nihad Djedovic and Nick Weiler-Babb are still not an option.

Ulm has the best three-point percentage
Ulm's optimism should remain high: The guests won their final nine games of the regular BBL season, "they are the hottest team in the Bundesliga right now," FCBB head coach Andrea Trinchieri thinks. "Just a week ago, they ran over us just like that. It's definitely going to be a tough game, they're in good form and have great confidence. So we have to have a different face from the start and show a different defense."         

The Swabians are led by a trio this season: Center Osetkowski (13.7 ppg/5.6 rpg), national player Andreas Obst (13.4/50.9% 3pt) and the recently in-form Troy Caupain (14.0/4.3 apg) shape the offense. Point guard Caupain has averaged 22.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and six assists in the last six games. Forward Cameron Clark (11.3) is also averaging double-digits in points. The visitors are also the best three-point team in the BBL, shooting 43.1 percent. Coach Jaka Lakovic, a former EuroLeague pro (Panathinaikos, Barcelona), has been able to establish an effective team defense, often Ulm's weak point in the past. On offense, they like to open up the court and get open threes via ball movement.

"They have a lot of shooters, they have flow and quickness, but if we counter it with physicality, it makes their wheels stop," Paul Zipser said Wednesday before team practice. "Also, we're going to come up with a plan to attack them." 

Zan Mark Sisko is also highly motivated after a little time off at the beginning of the week. "Everybody, the players, the team and the coaches, come to the gym every day for that reason, to win titles. They count them at the end of the day, at the end of a career. We want to win."         

More facts about the TOP FOUR 2021:

 

SCHEDULE
Bayern will face Ulm on Saturdayat 16:00 for game one. On paper, the hosts are the away team in the Audi Dome, according to the official schedule. Then, starting at 19:30., the second finalist will be determined between BG Goettingen and defending champion Alba Berlin. The final will be kicked off at 15:00 on Sunday. 

Saturday, May 15

16:00: Ratiopharm Ulm - FCBB
19:30.: BG Goettingen - Alba Berlin

Sunday, April 16

15:00.: Final
SCHEDULE

THE TROPHY

 

The German Basketball Cup has been played since 1967, and the second winner was FC Bayern München. 50 years later, in 2018, the FCBB celebrated its second cup win. Since 2010, the trophy has been known as the BBL Cup, and the current name is the MagentaSport BBL Cup. Record winners of the national cup are Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Alba Berlin with ten championships each.

THE BBL CUP ON TV
The three cup games can be seen on MagentaSport's platforms as a free TV offer - i.e., free of charge for everyone, without a subscription. Detailed reports from the final will also be shown by ARD-Sportschau, ZDF-Sportreportage and Bayerisches Fernsehen, among others.

THE VIRTUAL AUDI DOME
Unfortunately, fans are still not allowed inside the Audi Dome, which is why the virtual Audi Dome opens for the second time on Saturday: "Audi Dome @ home." The first online home venue in European sport is also free of charge and accessible via a link, to be found Saturday on Bayern's homepage and on the FCBB's social media channels. Things get underway there starting at 14:30 with host Alex Schlüter welcoming fans to the gameday show at 15:00. "Audi Dome @ Home" offers further attractions that can also be experienced in the hall at normal times, as well as new features from the virtual world.