With the last shot and the sound of the buzzer, the sixth game now stands, which was lost by more or less a handful of points difference: The FCBB's 68:70 defeat on the 30th EuroLeague matchday against direct competitor Valencia Basket now leads to the observation that "we are now dependent on others and no longer have it in our hands," stated Bayern coach Pablo Laso the next morning, before returning from Spain to Munich.
On Friday evening against Wade Baldwin
However, the European competition is by no means over for the German Cup winners, nor is the ambition of the Bayern basketball team to fight until the end for the slim chance of making it to the playoffs of the top class. Despite a tough remaining schedule. This will already be visible on Friday evening when the playoff candidate Maccabi Tel Aviv competes at BMW Park starting at 8:30 p.m.
"Maccabi has a strong team and can still make it directly to the playoffs. And yes, that was a tough loss because we gave them the start and just couldn't make a damn shot," Laso said on Thursday. "But it's a home game, and we play with our fans. And we want to be there in case there's still a chance, we will fight until the end."
Booker is being examined
Top scorer Devin Booker (16 points) will be missing against Maccabi, who was unfortunately twisted his ankle in the decisive phase in the middle of the final quarter. "He's definitely out for Friday," Laso stated about the US center, who will be examined in the afternoon. Booker (9.9 PpS, 5.5 RpS) had already missed three weeks at the beginning of the year due to an ankle ligament injury and only returned for the Top Four.
Since Danko Brankovic (back in training) was also twisted on Sunday in Göttingen and was absent in Spain, the best rebound team in the league so far (36.2 RpS) ultimately lost the battle on the boards (33:36). And given the three-point shooting percentage of 26 percent, World Champion Andi Obst (thigh) was sorely missed again.
Tel Aviv is in seventh place
However, Captain Vladimir Lucic narrowly missed the open three-pointer for the win. "Valencia came into the game very physically, and we were not prepared for that," admitted playmaker Lea Bolmaro later. "By the time we got into the game, they already had confidence. I think that was the key. We couldn't play our style in offense because they were so physical. But we had the chance for the win because we gave the right response in the second half. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough."
Maccabi Tel Aviv can plan for the play-ins with a record of 17 wins and 13 losses. Israel's record champion has one day more rest, and on Tuesday, they successfully came from behind against Lyon-Villeurbanne: 98-90 after initially trailing 54-64.
Personalized tickets, no bags
Former FCBB guard Wade Baldwin is in outstanding form, earning the MVP of the game with 30 points, ten assists, and five rebounds. His average is now an impressive 17.7 points per game; guard partner Lorenzo Brown (12.6), forward Bonzie Colson (13.5/5.6 RpS), and center Josh Nebo (10.8/7.1) also contribute strong numbers for perhaps the most athletic team in the EuroLeague.
Special regulations apply for the Maccabi game, with ticket holders' identification being checked against an ID document upon entry. Bringing bags is generally prohibited on Friday. Due to entry controls, FCBB kindly requests timely arrival. Tickets are available online until the start of the game.
The next matches of FCBB
Friday, March 22nd, 8:30 PM: FCBB - Maccabi Tel Aviv (EL)
Sunday, March 24th, 3:30 PM: Veolia Towers Hamburg - FCBB (easyCredit BBL)
Thursday, March 28th, 8:30 PM: FCBB - FC Barcelona (EL)
Sunday, March 31st, 3:30 PM: Bamberg Baskets - FCBB (easyCredit BBL)
Friday, April 5th, 8:30 PM: FCBB - Panathinaikos Athens (EL)
Sunday, April 7th, 5:00 PM: FCBB - Löwen Braunschweig (easyCredit BBL)