Win or go home: The situation is clear for the Bayern basketball team when they face Ulm on Friday evening. Only a win will see them playing more basketball this season after what is now their 78th competitive game. With a victory they would go into Game 4 on Sunday, again in Ulm. Ulm leads the series 2-0 after winning both games on the road at the Audi Dome in Munich.
The game in the Ratiopharm Arena, which is sold out with 6,000 fans, will start at 19:00 on Friday, with MagentaSport and Sport1 broadcasting live on free TV.
Bayern will travel to the arena in the morning, complete the shootaround in the hall at noon and then gather their strength in the hotel for the must-win matchup.
Seven years since the last loss in Ulm
After a dominant second half in the first duel (87-69) and a very resilient performance by Ulm over three quarters in Game 2 (93-88), Andrea Trinchieri's team almost found the way to the series equalizer in the last quarter via a smaller lineup and aggressive defense.
Striking so far: Ulm has shot an average of 35 threes per game in the playoffs so far (34.3% rate), more than any other team. Bayern has 26.4 attempts and a 36.4 percent rate. In any case, the basic prerequisite should be a Munich plus in rebounds. After Ulm's 41-33 on the boards in the first game, FCBB was 32-29 ahead here at the end of Game 2.
Ulm for the third time in the Finals?
Ulm around coach Anton Gavel now holds all the cards to end the best-of-five series in their own hall and enter the finals for the third time. Most people have already written off Bayern in the series"but there is always hope," said head coach Trinchieri, who was motivated again on Thursday as he rehearsed system adjustments with his team: "It's not over until it's over."
In the BBL all-tome record against Ulm, the FCBB is 20-12 ahead, they last lost in Ulm in February of 2016 and then won seven games in a row.
BBL Semifinals (best-of-five), Ulm up 2-0
Game 3, Friday, June 2, 19:00: Ratiopharm Ulm - FCBB
Game 4*, Sunday, June 4, 18:00.: Ratiopharm Ulm - FCBB
Game 5*, Tuesday, June 6, 19:00.: FCBB - Ratiopharm Ulm
(* = if necessary)
