There was a good mood when the Bayern basketball players gathered at the Audi Dome again on Saturday afternoon. The beer garden next door was already open, as were the beautiful lakes in the Munich countryside. But the team of Andrea Trinchieri has postponed vacation: Through the brilliant 90-60 victory, the final series for the German championship against Alba Berlin has been extended by at least one game and the series is now 1:2, it continues on Sunday afternoon (15:00) in Munich's Audi Dome with Game 4, albeit under identical conditions: With a win, Alba would be champions.
Nothing is predictable about these Bavarians, apart from the certainly fiery atmosphere in their home Audi Dome. After all, they opened an intense semifinal series against Bonn with a 2-0 lead, only to be knocked down and forced to go into an energy- and nerve-sapping fifth game after losing two home games. However, they were able to win this decisive game in front of a sold-out away crowd just as easily as they did just over a week later in what was supposed to be the title clinching win.
Despite four injured, ill or convalescent players in their presumably ideal starting five Bayern has managed to stay in the series.
Berlin's streak is broken
On Wednesday, the day before the departure to Berlin, general manager Marko Pesic actually had to accompany Leon Radosevic to a Munich hospital: a painful, very severe, feverish infection struck the German-Croatian center just in time for the do-or-die game at Alba. On the day of the game, Leon was still under medical observation - and after dinner, served in the afternoon as is customary in the industry, he watched via the MagentaSport screen - as did co-captain Vladimir Lucic (adductors), Darrun Hilliard and Corey Walden (both back in training) live in the sold-out arena at Berlin's Ostbahnhof with 14,500 fans.
Alba Berlin had won 19 BBL games in a row before the Game 3 loss. The hall was full and full of expectation (but so were the FCBB fans, including club president Herbert Hainer, who had traveled there especially for the occasion). The success on this scale was the biggest road win since the data was collected in 1998/1999 and, of course, the Bavarians have never celebrated a clearer victory in a finals series.
After consultation with the BBL delegation, which logically arrived complete with trophy, medals and confetti, however, this 90-60 is unfortunately also included in the statistics as only one win. So the series is still 1:2 from Munich's point of view, "they again have match point on Sunday," said Andrea Trinchieri. The Italian, however, praised the attitude of his team, which is weakened by injuries and has now been stressed in 83 competitive games:
"They were allowed to make mistakes, they were allowed to miss shots - but for them to give up, I didn't want that." National player Andreas Obst said, "Alba was maybe ready for the party and a bit surprised how we came out, with energy and confidence. But the fact that it was 30 points in the end doesn't mean much. Because on Sunday, it's back to 0-0."
Hopes for Lucic and Radosevic
Lucic and Radosevic are huge question marks for Sunday. And Walden has recently returned to training and Hilliard has also joined the group. But their use is rather unlikely. "But I am very happy with what I have," Trinchieri had assured at the press conference with the capital media. He discreetly cheered a "team victory" there, with a rebound duel win for the first time (42-27)
A fifth game would be Wednesday (20:30.) in Berlin. The Munich team has averted the widely predicted sweep. After all.