Finally an away victory as a reward, and what a one it was! The Bayern basketballers celebrated a spectacular 79-78 (41-45) win over Partizan Belgrade on Thursday evening. An incredible buzzer-beating three-pointer move by Sylvain Francisco provided the appropriate reward after a courageous performance in front of 20,174 fans. For the cup winner, it was the eleventh victory, with their French top scorer scoring 20 points.
The Bayern team will play again on Sunday in Weißenfels and on Fasching Tuesday at home in the top match against Chemnitz (8 PM), before heading to the BMW Park for the German Cup.
Partizan Belgrad - FC Bayern Basketball 78:79 (45:41)
FCBB:
Sylvain Francisco (20 Points), Serge Ibaka (14), Carsen Edwards (12), Danko Brankovic (11, 6 Rebounds), Nick Weiler-Babb (9, 6 Assists), Andreas Obst (6), Vladimir Lucic (3), Niels Giffey (2), Dino Radoncic (2), Isaac Bonga (7 Rebounds), Nelson Weidemann, Elias Harris
Topscorer Partizan:
Kevin Punter (22 Points)
Referee
Fernando Rocha, Carlos Peruga, Saulius Racys
Attendance
20.174
1.1 seconds before the end
A wild game quickly unfolded in Belgrade, with control over the game initially held only by the roaring crowd. The Munich offense struggled to find the man inside but found success with shots from the outside (21-16/9.); Weiler-Babb also did so twice, stepping in for the temporarily ill Bolmaro (infection).
Without Booker and Bolmaro
Partizan's scoring was mainly led by Punter (22) and Kaminsky (14), but the guests found their way into the game through rebounds, 30-23 (12.). Ibaka's early third foul (14) weakened a team that was searching for solutions in defense. It was fortunate that Brankovic (11) delivered.
Only two turnovers by halftime were a strong stat, yet nearly 60 percent from beyond the arc gave the Serbs the lead. "Playing defense in this atmosphere is tough because no one can hear a word," said Brankovic before the restart.
25 points from Ibaka/Brankovic
Belgrade capitalized on three quick turnovers, grabbed offensive rebounds, and once again got lucky with a three-pointer that barely rolled in from the rim - suddenly 47-57 (25.). However, Bayern fought back with great heart, led by Francisco, tying the game at 72-72 (37.). An open shot for the lead went begging. But then Francisco dribbled, tying Kaminsky's legs into knots - sensational.
Quotes:
Pablo Laso, Headcoach FC Bayern Basketball: "Congratulations to my players, of course. They did a fantastic job right from the start. It was very tough because Partizan is a team that plays with a lot of energy. It's so difficult to play here; the fans push them incredibly. Additionally, Kaminsky showed up in the first half, but it remained very tight; both teams played very well. Kaminsky hit tough threes, giving them an extra push. However, we stayed focused on our plan and were able to come back from a clear deficit. (...). When we gave up an offensive rebound and Bonga missed an open shot, it looked like we were beaten again. However, in the end, we defended very solidly and cleverly, and clearly, Sylvain's last shot was hard to defend - it's the players who decide games. I am very happy about this victory. We will fight for our position in the table until the end."
Sylvain Francisco: "To be honest, initially, I wanted to drive to the basket for overtime, but then I saw Kaminsky anticipating my drive, and as soon as he turned his hips, I stepped back. If it hadn't gone in, we would have had nothing. It was very tough here, especially in this really good atmosphere, but I tried to find the right balance. I was calm in the first half, but then they gave me some opportunities."
Serge Ibaka: "At the end, we stuck together and fought, that was the key. We knew it wouldn't be easy here. With these fans behind them, you can hardly beat Partizan; the atmosphere is really crazy here - I've never experienced anything like it in my life before. It was a very important victory for us, especially after the loss against Olympiakos at home last week."