Not only in the EuroLeague, but also in the Bundesliga, the season is gradually entering the home stretch: In Hamburg and Ulm, at home against Wuerzburg, Goettingen and Berlin, that's the remaining schedule for Munich in the regular season - all starting with the first top game this Saturday (20:30/MagentaSport) at standings neighbor Ludwigsburg (third place). Second-place Bayern (21-7) is currently one win ahead of the third-placed hosts (20-8) in the tight BBL ranking of the top five teams.
The test of endurance comes two days before the departure for the EuroLeague playoffs at FC Barcelona (Tues., 21:00, and Thurs., 20:00), whose third duel at the Audi Dome on April 27th has been moved to 20:30.. Head coach Andrea Trinchieri, however, wants to "go game by game" and first fight in Ludwigsburg for the best possible starting position for the BBL playoffs.
The Swabians have worked their way back up in the league with eight wins in the last ten games. In the international competition (FIBA CL), they are still represented in the quarterfinals against the Romanian club Cluj, 1-1.
Ludwigsburg's top scorer is the athletic small forward Justin Simon (14 ppg, 5.6 rpg), who joined the team after playing in the G-League and Australia and briefly in Ulm. Small forward and guard Jonah Radebaugh (13.9 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 3.8 apg) helps to carry the team on offense; in the front court the re-signed center Ethan Happ (11 rpg, 7.2 rpg) who has taken on a starring role.
For the duel with the usually aggressive defense of the MHP Giants the Munich backcourt can be relieved again by Nick Weiler-Babb's return. Thus, only Corey Walden, who is still suffering from back problems, is missing.
The Bavarians won the first matchup in December by a narrow 79-78 margin, less than 48 hours after the difficult away game at Red Star Belgrade. In the previous year, they knocked out the then first-place team in the main round 3-1 in the semifinals.